The First Warrior
by HisWarrior
Summary: She has given her word to keep them safe. But would she go as far as to give up her life? And what does Aslan have planned for her when it is all done? A look into the life of Narnia's first warrior!
1. Miranda

Miranda

Lynn Kellen did not know what to do anymore. She looked around at the bare white hospital walls around her and sighed. When had everything gone so wrong. Her husband was in the war, she had to work two jobs to pay the bills, and her only child was dying.

Lynn looked over to her 14 year old daughter asleep in the hospital bed. An IV was in her arm, and wires on her chest hooked to a machine beside the bed. The frightened mother watched the monitor for her daughter's heart beats.

**Beep, Beep, --, Beep**

Lynn winced as she saw the monitor skip a beat. Miranda had had this problem for three years now, and the doctors could not tell her what was wrong. The heartbeats were inconsistent, but the doctors could find nothing wrong. But less than a week ago, Miranda had had a heart attack. The doctors could not even explain why this happened. The blood had not clotted, but seemed to just stop.

**Knock, Knock**

Lynn jumped. She immediately raced to the door as not to disturb her daughter's sleep. When she opened the door, an American soldier stood there with a letter in his hands. Eyes wide, she took the letter and closed the door.

She opened the letter, and had only to read the first sentence;

_Dear Mrs. Kellen,_

_We regret to inform you that your husband has been killed in action._

Lynn fell into the chair beside the bed and wept.

"_Not this," _she thought, "_Anything but this."_

She started when she felt a hand on her arm. She looked up to see her daughter's hazel eyes looking deep into her blue ones.

"What is it mom?" She asked in a trembling voice.

Lynn hesitated.

"Mom."

"Honey, I think that you should read this."

Miranda took the letter from her mother's hand, and read the first sentence.

"No," she whispered, and then louder, screamed, "Nooo!"

The doctor came in when he heard the commotion. What he saw was a mother and daughter in each other's arms, weeping their eyes out. He looked over to the monitor by the bed, and gasped. Miranda's heartbeat was going too fast!

He ran over to try and stop it, but he was too late. Miranda had fainted, and Lynn went into shock.


	2. In Which the Story Really Begins

**For any that believe that I am giving up, you are dreaming. It only has one chapter so far.**

**--**

Miranda looked over at her sleeping mother. It had been nearly 4 months now that they had received news of her father's death, and it had been hard on the two of them. Now her mother hardly slept, and Miranda's illness had gotten worse. She was lucky to just be home instead of the hospital right now.

Lynn stirred in her sleep, and Miranda left the room.

She went to her room to try and rest a little, and her gaze rested on the Bible by her nightstand. How long had it been since she had last picked it up? She did not know. She walked over and picked up the Bible. Turning the pages, her eyes fell upon the words;

_And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28_

"Yeah right," she said bitterly, putting the Bible back where she found it. If all things worked together for good, why was her father dead? Why was her mother having to work so much? Why was her heart never right? The bitter questions consumed her, and she cried. She cried as one that has no hope, one that almost wishes for life to end.

She started when she heard the phone ring, not wanting it to wake up her mother, she ran to get it.

"Hello."

"Hello. Is this Miranda Kellen?"

"Yes it is."

"Hello Miranda, this is Pastor Richard."

Miranda was not certain how she was supposed to reply.

"Hello, sir."

"Miranda, I understand that your father past away a few months ago."

"Yes, sir."

"Is there anything I can do to help, anything at all."

Miranda did not answer. Yes they needed help, but not the kind of help he could offer. They needed money to pay the bills. They needed a roof that would not leak. They needed her father. Almost angrily, Miranda replied;

"There is nothing that you can help with."

"Oh," came a disappointed voice, "I see."

"No, I don't think you do see," Miranda said angrily. She was about to hang up the phone when she heard.

"Well, if there is anything you do need, be sure and call me." Then the line went dead.

Miranda put the phone back in the receiver.

"There is nothing you can do to help." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Nothing."

Two hours later, Lynn woke up. She looked up at the clock. Another hour till she needed to get to work. Sighing with relief, she stretched her arms and legs and got up off the couch.

Looking around, she saw Miranda making her a cup of coffee in the kitchen. She smiled at her daughter as she walked into the kitchen, and began to make herself some dinner. For just a second though, she looked at the poor state her daughter was in. She was once so full of life and hope, with thick, lustrous hair, and a smile that was so contagious that it made everyone else smile. Now, she was so pale and thin, and never gave her real smile anymore. Her eyes didn't sparkle, and she seemed so quiet.

"Here is your coffee mom," Miranda said trying to sound cheerful.

Lynn took the coffee, and kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"Call me at work if you need me."

"I will mom."

Lynn left the house, and got into her car. A sudden smile lit her face. She would find a way to cheer up her daughter, and she knew just how.

As soon as her mother left, Miranda went to bed. It was getting late, and she hadn't been sleeping well. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep. She woke up what seemed only a few moments later, feeling very cold, and wet for some reason.

"_The roof must be leaking again."_ She thought, but when she opened her eyes, she bolted straight up. She was sitting on snow! In a wood?!

--

**Aha!! A cliff hanger! It may be a while before next chapter goes up, but it will be soon.**


	3. The Lion, the Witch, and the Warrior

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Chronicles of Narnia.**

**Movie quotes are used.**

**Special thanks to Queen Su for your review. It helped me out a whole lot. **

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**The Lion, the Witch, and the Warrior**

"Okay," Miranda said to herself, "I do not think that I am in America anymore."

She took another quick look around.

"And I know that I am definitely not in Georgia right now."

She looked over the strange land that surrounded her. She had fallen asleep on her bed in her room, and had woken up in a land full of snow and ice.

"I have got to be dreaming. Yes, that's it. I'm just dreaming."

She pinched herself.

"Ouch!" She exclaimed, "All right, maybe I'm not dreaming."

It was incredible. Too incredible to believe.

"This is impossible," she whispered. "But… so amazing."

Miranda suddenly shivered. Looking down at herself, she saw that she had absolutely no warm clothes on.

"_Might_ _as_ _well_ _look_ _around_," she thought to herself, "_At least to try and find someplace to warm up at."_

**Grumble, Grumble**

"_And maybe try and get some food too."_

Miranda walked through the snow as if in a dream. It was so beautiful, so real. Suddenly, she heard noises behind her.

"Do what it takes to bring him, but do not kill. Her majesty wants him alive."

The voice was low and gruff, and the voices that answered were even worse. Miranda immediately scurried up a tree (she had done this a lot before she had gotten sick), and hid herself.

"_I am so glad that I remember how to do this," _Miranda though.

A few moments later, the voices emerged from behind a cluster of trees and rocks into a clearing. Miranda had to hold back a scream. The sounds she had heard were not from people, but from animals, and whatever else was in the group. She thought that she saw a Minotaur, and possibly a miniature scale of Cyclops, but the others were just monstrous creatures.

They walked up to a cliff at the edge of the clearing, and Miranda noticed a door.

The creatures bang on the door, trying to simply knock it down. But the door would not budge.

"Get the ax," a wolf said. Now Miranda really had to bite back a scream. The wolf had just talked!

The Minotaur took an ax off of a pack on his back, and slammed it into the door. The door immediately cracked, and the creatures ran in.

A few moments later, Miranda watched as the monsters dragged out a; what? It looked like half of a man, and half of a goat. She thought she remembered that in the stories, they were called fauns.

"No!" the faun shouted, "Please No!!"

"Save your please for the queen," the wolf, which appeared to be their leader, growled.

As Miranda watched the creatures drag him away, she saw something fly out of his hand onto the ground.

Miranda right now had no idea what to think.

"_I know that I am not dreaming. Am I hallucinating? Do I have a hearing problem? Am I going completely mad?"_

Quickly, she accepted the fact that she was not any of these things. She knew that she was not crazy, she had never hallucinated before, and the doctors had said her hearing was fine. This was all real. She had heard the wolf talk. She had seen creatures that she had only read about in stories.

And she was cold.

Shivering, she waited until the last of the noises had left, then scurried back down the tree. Thinking that there was no harm in trying, she went into the cave that the faun had lived in.

The first thing that caught her eye was a piece of parchment nailed to one of the beams. Coming up to get a closer look, she read:

_Faun Tumnus, is here by charged with high treason, against her imperial majesty; Jadis, Queen of Narnia. For comforting her enemies and fraternizing with humans. Signed, Maurgrim; Captain of the Secret Police._

_Long Live the Queen_

Now at least she knew where she was.

"Narnia," she whispered. And the faun's name was Tumnus. But Miranda was quite sure that she did not want to meet this queen.

Looking around the rest of the home, she saw that it was nice and homelike for one person to be in. The room was still warm from a fire that had been going only a few minutes before, and it looked like he had just been settling down to drink some tea. Feeling hungry, as has been noted before, she ate some of the bread that he had left by the cupboard. Then she looked around for something to put on. It took her some time, but finally she found a green coat that looked like it had never been worn before. Quickly she put it on, and immediately found herself much warmer than before. Not wanting to be caught unarmed in case one of those… those things came again, she took a carving knife from on top of the stove, and was glad to see it had some casing around it (not a sheath, carving knives don't have sheathes).

Feeling much fuller and warmer, she promised herself to give the stuff back to the faun if she ever found him. She walked outside, and again noticed the thing he had dropped. Picking it up, she saw that it was a flute. But a flute unlike any she had ever seen. It had two openings at the ends, and it looked like it was made of mahogany wood. It felt warm and good in Miranda's hands. Putting the flute into one of the coat pockets, she continued on.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"What did you say?" Orieus exclaimed.

The fox rolled his eyes.

"I said, another one has come."

Orieus could not believe his ears. He had just gotten news from another that the four kings and queens had come to Narnia, but this.

He turned around the tent that he was in at the edge of Narnia, near Lantern Waste. He had been sent here by Aslan to organize the troops and send them to the fields at Beruna.

"What do you know of this human?" Orieus asked the fox, Hunta.

"It is a female, and to be quite frank, afraid. She is confused and amazed. Never has she seen things as this before."

"_A female?" _Orieus thought. "_Does Aslan really expect it to be a female?" _Quickly, Orieus stopped those thoughts. Aslan always knew what he was doing and whom he would choose.

"Can you find her?" He asked Hunta.

"It should not take me long. I will find her and bring her here. There is not much time left."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

In fact, it took Hunta no time at all. He found the young girl quickly, and was glad that she was resting herself at the moment. From her pocket, she took out Tumnus's flute, and began to play. Hunta had heard Tumnus play before, but never had he heard a melody like this. It was as if a river had broken from under the ice and overflowed.

As the last notes of the song faded away, Hunta stepped out of his hiding spot.

"Hello and greetings to you young one."

The girl gasped, and immediately started backing away. Hunta thought that it would take longer than he thought to put some gut in this girl, when he suddenly saw a knife come up from a pocket in her coat.

"Not another step!" She ordered him.

Maybe she did have some guts after all.

"I am not here to harm you.

"How do I know that I can trust you, and that others do not wait behind you, ready for the moment I put this knife down."

She was smart too. Very smart.

"I am here on a mission young one. I do not serve the self proclaimed Queen of Narnia, but the true king, Aslan."

When he said the word Aslan, he saw a flash cross the girl's eyes.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself," he continued. "My name is Hunta, captain of Aslan's army."

The girl hesitated for a moment before replying.

"My name is Miranda. Miranda Kellen."

"Well Miranda Kellen, are you of the Queen, or of the true King?"

Miranda looked Hunta straight in the eye and said;

"I just watched as the queen's… monsters took away a faun named Tumnus. I decided then and there that I did not want to know this queen."

"Then come with me."

Warily, Miranda followed him.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda was in complete awe of what she saw. Talking animals, centaurs, satyrs, fauns, and griffins were everywhere. She continued to follow the fox (or Hunta) through the camp, but no longer warily. Something about the way these creatures act toward each other, and toward her, was enough. And besides, if they were on the queen's side, she would probably be dead already.

Hunta led her to a tent in the middle of the camp and entered. Miranda saw that it was a room, with a bed and a wash basin. On the bed were clothes and shoes. Miranda looked over at Hunta.

"Put these clothes on, and then wait for me outside. The General will need to see you."

"See me?" Miranda questioned.

"Yes," said Hunta. "There is a matter which greatly concerns you."

That said Hunta left Miranda. And Miranda tried to leave her thoughts, but it was difficult.

She looked over the clothes that sat on the bed. There was a shirt, pants, a leather tunic and belt, and a cloak. Shoes sat beside the clothes; boots that were as long as her legs. Thinking only of the fact that these clothes were probably warmer than her own, she put them on.

The entire time she was doing this, her mind was racing. When she had heard the name Aslan, something had gone through her. She suddenly felt warm and courageous; like she used to feel when she listened to stories her father would tell her. She could distinctly hear his voice say:

"_No matter what happens Miranda, you can do anything through Christ which strengthens you. Nothing is impossible through God, and you can do anything."_

She knew that stories that made her feel that way were from the Bible. But it all left when her father died. Miranda fought back the tears that stung her eyes.

"Are you ready?" Miranda heard Hunta ask.

"Yes, I am coming," Miranda answered, and took another few seconds to gather her bearings.

When she exited the tent, she found herself looking up at the largest centaur she had seen yet. His body was coal black, as was the hair on his head. His body was strong, and his face was stern.

"This Miranda," Hunta began, "Is Orieus, the General of Aslan's army."

Miranda nodded her head toward Orieus with respect.

"There is a matter that concerns you," Orieus said, and Miranda noted the deepness of his voice. "We believe that you are the fulfillment of a position that the great lion Aslan has planned for a purpose that we do not know."

"Forgive me?"

Orieus allowed a small smile to cross his face.

"Perhaps I should explain this a little better."

He led Miranda to a table in front of his tent. He watched as Hunta followed closely. Orieus was confused at this. He would have to speak to him later. Right now, this girl needed to know what was happening.

"Before I left Aslan at the fields at Beruna, he charged me with a task."

Orieus then weaved a tale to Miranda of how the Queen had first come into their land, and of the tyranny she had placed upon them through 100 years of winter, giving her the name, the White Witch. He told her of the prophecy that they had long awaited, of how two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve would defeat the White Witch and restore peace to Narnia. He continued to tell her that they believed that these four had come.

"Wait a moment," Miranda interrupted, "What does this have to do with me?"

"One moment young one," Orieus replied. "When I heard these words, great was the joy in my heart. Aslan immediately set me out to find troops for the battle. But before I left, he charged me with a task."

He waited for Miranda to respond.

"And… what was that task," Miranda said rather shakily, and it was not from the cold.

"He charged me with the finding of another; another son of Adam or daughter of Eve. He said that he or she would become the first warrior of Narnia." Orieus watched Miranda's eyes widen.

"And you think that I am that person!"

"There could be no other," Orieus said calmly.

Miranda left the table and paced around for a few moments. She abruptly stopped and looked Orieus in the eye.

"There must be some mistake! I can't fight! I can't help with this! I can't be the warrior you are searching for!"

"There is no mistake," Orieus stated.

"How do you know? How can you tell that my being here is not a mistake?"

"Because Aslan never makes mistakes."

Miranda was silent for a few moments. Could it be true? Could she be the person they were looking for? She looked down at her feet, not knowing what to say.

"We are not saying that you must accept this yet," Orieus said. "Aslan will speak with you himself, and then you will decide what happens next."

Miranda looked up to Orieus, and said;

"I will decide when the time is right, but I think that I should have some idea of how to fight now."

Orieus roared with laughter, surprising himself. He had not laughed in years.

"You will be taught some of the basics of fighting before anything else happens," he said, still silently chuckling.

He took up two swords from beside his tent, and gave one to Miranda.

"First lesson."

He slowly taught Miranda how to place her feet, and how to block quickly. She learned fast, and never had to be told how to do something twice. Within an hour, she was sweating, and he was impressed. She at the very least would be able to defend herself well.

"Enough," he said, and Miranda fell to the ground. She hadn't worked this hard in three years.

"Take a rest," he continued," And a little later, we will see how well you do with a bow."

"A bow?!" Miranda exclaimed, sitting up."Now I have to learn how to use a bow?"

Orieus laughed.

**Two Hours Later**

Miranda took the bow in her hands, took an arrow out of the quiver, and aimed at the target.

"Line the arrow with your mouth."

Miranda rolled her eyes, but did as she was told.

"Relax your shoulders."

Miranda's shoulders relaxed.

Hearing no more orders, Miranda released the arrow.

**Whizzz**

It hit the target. Not the center, but close enough to it.

Orieus made her do it five more times before he was satisfied.

"I believe that you have learned enough," Orieus said.

Miranda smiled.

"Now, another thing that you need to know is that it is most important to make sure that the witch does not learn of you too soon."

"Why is that?" Miranda asked.

"The witch will find out soon enough that the kings and queens are near. We do not think that it would be wise to let it be known that another daughter of Eve has entered Narnia."

"So this is to protect me?"

"And those around you. If the witch finds out too quickly, others will not fare so well."

"How will we make sure that I stay hidden then?"

Orieus smiled. This girl knew which questions to ask.

"I am sending Hunta to the Beaver's house where the kings and queens are at the moment. I wish for you to accompany him. It will be much easier for you to stay hidden with him than it would be with us. We travel to the fields at Beruna tonight, and I do not wish for any of the trees to be spreading news."

"The trees, sir?"

"I may have to explain about that later. For now, take a sword, a dagger, and a quiver with a bow and arrows. You will be leaving shortly."

"Yes sir."

**A few seconds later**

"You want me to what?!"

It was Orieus's turn to roll his eyes.

"I want you to take Miranda with you."

"The path that I take is dangerous Orieus. You risk her life."

"Yes, but I honestly believe she will be safer hidden with you, than trudging on loudly with us."

Hunta paced the floor in agitation.

Orieus suddenly had a thought.

"You have come to care about her, haven't you?"

"As a father would care for the safety of his daughter," Hunta sighed. "There is a dark sadness about her that I can sense Orieus. She is young and strong, but so vulnerable. I feel a certain responsibility for her that I have never felt before."

"Would it have been different if someone else had found her?" Orieus asked.

Hunta stopped.

"Yes, it would have." Hunta looked up at Orieus. "I feel responsible because I brought her into this mess."

"If she is who we think she is, then this is not your fault."

"I know, but I feel like it is."

Orieus thought for a moment. He honestly did not know what to say. It was as if Hunta had grown 10 years very quickly. Slowly, he said;

"You cannot ask me to take her with us Hunta, and I can't promise that she will be safer with you. But I will say this, that if she comes to harm, I will take the burden."

"Your words bring little comfort friend, but I accept it."

The two parted ways. They had no idea what would happen next.

**A half hour later**

Miranda could not remember the last time she had walked so far. And they had only been walking less than an hour. The fact that she was carrying heavy weapons did not help matters either.

Hunta could sense that she was tired, so they took a rest. He smiled at the way her eyes looked in awe at everything that surrounded her.

"You look as if you have never seen such lands before," Hunta chuckled.

"That is because I haven't," Miranda answered, and then looked to see Hunta laughing.

"Let's go on," she said, trying to sound annoyed, which only made Hunta laugh more.

It took another 4 hours to reach the Beaver's house. It was a nice little dam, with logs surrounding it and a small house in the center. Miranda could see a small column of smoke coming up from the house.

Suddenly from the other edge of the woods burst three human figures and a beaver. Hunta tensed, and smelled the air.

"Wolves!" Hunta exclaimed.

Miranda stood there terrified. She shook herself when she heard Hunta's voice.

"Miranda, get up this tree!"

She didn't need to be told twice. She scurried up the tree as fast as she could, and watched as the figures raced into the small house.

"Hurry Mama! There after us!" She heard the beaver say.

Hunta looked up at her.

"Stay here!" He ordered.

"What about you?"

"I need to find a way to help them! They are Narnia's only hope!"

With that, Hunta disappeared.

Miranda watched the woods silently, waiting for the moment the wolves would appear. She did not have to wait long. About six to eight wolves suddenly emerged from the forest, and began digging into the house.

"_I've got to try and do something!" _Miranda thought. But what could she do? She was in no position to shoot, and she would be down in a few seconds if she tried to fight with her sword. Suddenly, she remembered that she did have something. From underneath her tunic, she pulled out the flute. Bringing it up to her lips, she began to play.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Tumnus had given up hope. No one would be able to rescue him from this place, and if Aslan ever came back, he could never forgive him. He could not even forgive himself for the wrongs he had done.

But just as his heart began to sink, he heard a melody. A melody that told the story of hope, and how good would one day prevail.

"My flute," he whispered.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda played. She played as long as she could.

And the wolves stopped!

Whether they were distracted by the music, or it did something to enchant them, I do not believe anyone will ever know.

As the last notes of the song withered away, the wolves began digging again. Miranda hoped that she had given the kings and queens enough time to escape. What she never knew was that it was just enough time for them to get over halfway through a tunnel.

When the wolves disappeared, Miranda came down from the tree. It was another hour or so before Hunta came back. Miranda gasped.

"What happened to you?"

Hunta's back was torn up, and it looked like teeth marks.

"Just a little run-in with the wolves, that's all," Hunta said almost too casually.

Miranda glared down at him.

"All right," Hunta sighed," I used to work for the White Witch. They think I still do."

"How do I know that you don't?" Miranda said, putting her hand on her sword.

"Because, wouldn't I have given you over to them if I still was on her side."

Miranda sighed. Would she ever stop doing this?

"Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive," Hunta replied. "You have good reasons to doubt."

"But not any good reasons to doubt you."

Hunta laughed. This girl worried too much, but was so anxious to please. He thought that she would make a great warrior someday.

And so, fox and girl walked on. They walked for much of that night, only resting when Miranda needed to. And the next morning, they continued walking. But it was not long before Miranda noticed something.

"Hunta?"

"Yes Miranda."

"Is it getting warmer?"

Hunta stood still for a moment, and then said;

"Yes, yes I believe it is."

For the rest of the morning, they exclaimed and shouted over every little thing that happened. The snow melted, the ground turned green, flowers blossomed, and the rivers ran. Things seemed to be looking up.

But suddenly, Hunta stopped. He sniffed the air, and listened to the wind.

"Wolves," he whispered. They knew that he had given them the wrong way.

"Miranda!" He shouted. "The wolves are coming back."

"What?! Why?"

"Let's just say I gave them some bad directions."

The two ran until they got to a place covered with trees.

"Climb up!" Hunta shouted.

"Not without you!"

"Miranda please. You are the warrior of Narnia. You have to get to Aslan, and to the kings and queens. You have to help in the battle with the White Witch," Hunta's voice was desperate.

"I can't!" Miranda shouted.

The next thing Hunta said stayed with Miranda for the rest of her life.

"Aslan believes you can. And so do I."

Miranda could not believe her ears.

"Now climb!"

Miranda didn't argue this time. Within seconds, the wolves were on Hunta. One took Hunta's back with its teeth at the same spot that he had already been wounded.

"Take him to the queen," the lead wolf said.

As the wolves walked away, Miranda scurried down the tree and followed. She had to try and get Hunta out of this.

They walked a while before coming to a large river. Miranda followed closely, hiding herself behind the trees around her.

"Your majesty," the lead wolf said, "We found the traitor. He is guilty of rounding up your enemies."

The wolf threw Hunta in front of the Witch. And for the first time, Miranda's eyes beheld the White Witch. Long blonde hair was tightened behind her head, and an ice crown lay in the center of her head. She held a long scepter in one hand, but it was her eyes that frightened Miranda. They were the iciest shade of blue she had ever seen, cold and cruel.

"Ah," said the Witch," Nice of you to drop in. You were so helpful to my police last night. Perhaps you can help me now."

Hunta stood up, and said;

"Forgive me your majesty."

"Oh, don't waste my time with flattery," the Witch snapped.

But Hunta was not finished.

"Not to seem rude, but I wasn't actually talking to you."

Miranda was confused, until she saw him. A young boy, probably about 12, with dark brown hair and soft brown eyes, was standing beside the Witch, looking petrified.

"One of the Kings of Narnia," Miranda whispered.

She watched as the Witch came up closer to Hunta, and point her scepter down at him.

"Where are the humans headed?" Her voice was almost as cold as her eyes.

Hunta didn't say anything.

The Witch raised her scepter, and suddenly Miranda heard;

"No!"

She watched as the boy stood in between the Witch and Hunta.

"The Beavers said something about the Stone Table. And that Aslan had an army there."

Miranda was not sure if she was hearing correctly. The King had just told the Witch what they had planned? It was impossible!

The Witch seemed to smirk as Hunta dropped his head.

"Thank you Edmund. Though I'm glad this creature got to see some honesty."

Her face quickly became hard.

"Before he died!"

She pointed her scepter at Hunta, and Hunta suddenly became a stone statue.

"No!" Edmund screamed.

Miranda had to bite back her own scream. Not a scepter. A wand. She really was a witch.

She heard a slap, and then the Witch talking to Edmund, but she listened to none of it. Hunta had died protecting his country, with a hope for freedom once again. And he would not live to see it.

Miranda watched as the White Witch left with Edmund, a dwarf, and all of the wolves. Miranda followed. She had failed to help Hunta, but she would do all she could to get this king out of the mess he had put himself in.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Follow him," Aslan ordered to Orieus. "He will lead you to Edmund."

Orieus nodded his head, and rode away with six other Narnians. If the wolf would lead them to Edmund, follow the wolf they would.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda surveyed the scene. Edmund was not far away from the edge of the camp, but it was far enough to have about 12 monsters around him. Not to mention that stupid dwarf was guarding him.

She jumped from the branches of one tree to another, trying to get right underneath the one the king was tied to. She broke one of the branches, and nearly fell. She worried about the noise, but there was so much noise around that no one noticed.

"Is our little prince comfortable?" She heard the dwarf taunt Edmund. "Does he want his pillow fluffed? Special treatment for the special boy. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Miranda looked around the camp. There was not much to work with. She was completely outnumbered, and no telling if any help could or would come.

Miranda looked at the tent that the Witch was under. She was talking with a Minotaur about battle plans. Having an idea, Miranda took out her bow and an arrow. Aiming for the highest cord on the tent, she shot.

For once, her arrow hit the center of her target. The rope snapped, and the tent fell on the Witch and the Minotaur and anyone else in the tent.

"Get me out of here! Get this off!" Miranda heard the Witch scream. She watched as every monster around came to help get the tent off, leaving Miranda with an opening. While the dwarf was watching what was happening, Miranda jumped down from the tree. Edmund turned when he heard her, and his eyes widened. Putting her finger up to her lips, she began to cut his bonds. She then took the dwarf by surprise. Still looking the other way, Miranda knocked him out, and tied him loosely to the tree.

"Come on!" She whispered to Edmund. Not saying a word, he followed.

When they were a safer distance away, he spoke.

"Who are you?"

"We can worry about complete introductions later your majesty, but my name is Miranda," she said while still running.

Edmund looked behind him. Nothing was following.

"What are you worried about?" He asked. "Nothing is coming."

"It will take them a few moments to get the Witch out of that tangle, then another few to realize that you are not there. But they will send someone."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"What do you mean he's gone?!" the Witch roared.

Ginnabrik shook under his mistresses' anger.

"I mean y-y-your majesty that I was watching him, and then he wasn't there."

"You did not have your eyes on him the whole time, did you?"

"I-I-I stopped watching for a minute when the tent fell."

The Witch's eyes were wide with anger.

"Your majesty!" a wolf behind her exclaimed.

"What is it?" she snapped, her anger still boiling.

"We have caught a new scent. A single person. It should not be hard to get them."

"Kill this new person. Bring the boy back to me." Her voice roared.

Five wolves, two Minotaurs, and a werewolf followed the scent.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"_He will lead you to Edmund,"_ Aslan had said.

So far, he hadn't. The wolf had led them until it had become dark, and still no sign of Edmund. Orieus was beginning to think that Aslan must have been mistaken.

Orieus sighed as he ran. He was doing it again. Doubting Aslan for what he said would happen. So many years depending upon himself was now making him doubt the lion that had created him.

Orieus took a deep breath. What Aslan said was always true. He continued running.

The wolf kept running, and Orieus saw two figures running towards them in the shadows.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Edmund's mind was racing. One minute he was tied to a tree, the next he was free, and now he was running for his life through the woods beside a strange girl.

He turned his head a moment to study this girl. He figured that she was probably about Peter or Susan's age. Her hair was a dark blonde tied up in the back and her eyes were a hazel.

All of a sudden, the girl put her hand over his chest to stop him. The next second, he saw a wolf coming at them fast. But before he could even utter a sound, the girl had taken her bow and arrow and shot. The wolf lay dead two feet away.

Edmund looked over at this girl, but didn't get a chance to say anything. Right at that moment, a huge creature with the upper torso of a man's body, but with the rest looked like a horse stopped right in front of them.

"Miranda?!" the horse-man exclaimed.

"Orieus!"

"How on earth did you get over here?" the… Orieus asked.

The girl, Miranda, just turned around and shot another arrow.

"Ask me later!"

Because right then, from out of the shadows, jumped the Witch's minions. Edmund was suddenly surrounded by huge beings protecting him. He watched as they battled the monsters, but he mainly looked over at Miranda. She shot another arrow, and then took out her sword.

She turned around to look over at him, and was suddenly pushed to the ground. Edmund watched in horror as a werewolf pounced on her, and bit his teeth hard on her neck. But right as Orieus turned to help her, the werewolf was shoved off, a dagger in his stomach. Miranda got up, her neck bleeding.

"Are you alright?!" Orieus asked, the rest of the Witch's group dead. "You're bleeding!"

"I'm fine, he just bit the back. Nothing was badly torn."

Orieus was surprised at her reaction, but didn't say anything. He looked over to the boy beside her.

"And who is he?"

"This is King Edmund."

Now Orieus was more than shocked.

"Hold on a minute," Orieus began.

"Can we talk while walking further away from the Witch's camp?" Miranda interrupted.

Orieus laughed.

Edmund was put onto another centaur's back, while Miranda sat on Orieus.

"Now," Orieus began again, "Let me get this straight. You waltzed into the Witch's camp, freed the king, and then got this far without getting caught."

"It wasn't that easy," Miranda laughed. "I had to create a distraction that would last long enough for us to get that far."

"So what did you do as a distraction?"

"Well… I shot an arrow at the main rope support over the Witch's tent, and it collapsed on top of her."

Orieus laughed again, and then remembered something.

"Miranda… where is Hunta?"

Miranda hesitated.

"I was afraid you would ask that. Orieus, Hunta… Hunta is dead. The Witch turned him to stone."

Orieus was silent. Hunta. Dead. Those were the last words he wanted to hear. The last words he had expected to hear.

"He died protecting Narnia Orieus. He wouldn't tell the Witch anything."

Orieus expected as much from Hunta. He looked over to the king Edmund. He was asleep.

"Did the king say anything?"

"He was trying to protect him Orieus."

Orieus shook his head. This was going to be harder than he thought.

**Three hours later**

Edmund woke up to someone shaking him.

"Wake up sire, you are at Aslan's camp."

Edmund sat up. He looked over at his surroundings. Then he saw Miranda. She was unconscious, and her neck looked worse. He looked up at the centaur, Orieus, who carried Miranda.

"Will she be alright?"

"Her neck still bleeds, but not badly. I believe that she is more exhausted then hurt."

"Son of Adam," said a voice behind Edmund. A voice both low and sweet, like a harp.

Edmund turned around, and saw a huge lion with a golden mane and golden eyes bright as the sun. His breath caught in his throat. He was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

"We have much to talk about," the lion said, and turned around. Edmund came up beside him, and the two talked long into the dawn.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda woke up in a red and gold tent, with drapes and curtains that made her feel closer to a home than she had in a long time.

"Where am I?"

"Aslan's camp," a voice said beside her. She turned her head to see a faun with a gray beard looking over her.

"Orieus? King Edmund?"

"They are both fine. It is you that I really need to be worried about."

"Is there a specific reason for that?"

The faun burst out laughing.

"Why does everyone do that?"

"Do what young one?"

"Laugh at what I say."

The faun thought a moment before answering.

"Well child, it is probably because of the innocence of what you say. The way that you seem untouched by this whole mess. We have lived with it so long, we forgot how to laugh, and we forgot how to have innocence again. You are bringing it back."

Miranda felt almost proud at that moment.

"Now," said the faun, "Let me look at your neck. Sit up."

Miranda sat up, but asked a question before he did anything else.

"What is your name, sir?"

The faun laughed again before saying;

"My name is Cashtos. Now let me look at your neck."

Miranda sat still as Cashtos looked over her neck.

"I believe you will be just fine," he finally said.

"Thank you Cashtos."

"You are welcome Miranda," he said, handing her weapons to her. Before she left the tent, he said;

"Take it easy for at least a few hours," he said, and then added, "I think that you will be a great warrior."

Miranda smiled as she left the tent.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Narnia's not going to run out of toast Ed."

Edmund smiled at a 10 year old girl with dark hair and blue eyes. Little Lucy could always make him feel good.

"I'm sure that they'll pack you some up for the journey back," said a golden hair boy of about 15, blue eyes looking sharply ahead.

Edmund looked over at his elder brother, Peter, in confusion.

"We're going home," stated Susan, a 13 year old copy of her sister.

"You are," Peter said. "I promised Mum that I would keep you three safe, but that doesn't mean that I can't stay behind and help."

"But they need us," Lucy protested. "All four of us."

"Lucy, it's too dangerous. You almost drowned. Edmund was almost killed."

"Which is why we have to stay," Edmund finally spoke up. "I've seen what the White Witch can do, and I've helped her do it. But we can't leave these people behind to suffer for it."

Peter smiled at his brother. Never had he been more proud of him.

"Well I guess that's it then," said Susan. She got up and left the table they were sitting at.

"Where are you going?" Peter asked.

"To get in some practice," she said, grabbing her quiver.

The other three got up as well, and were about to follow Susan, when Edmund saw Orieus. He watched as Orieus walked up to one of the tents over to… Miranda!

"Excuse me for just a minute," he said to the others. They looked at him curiously, but didn't say anything.

Edmund took a deep breath and walked over to Miranda.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Well, you are looking much better," Orieus said with a smile on his face.

"I must admit, I feel better than I have felt in a long time."

Orieus had questions on his lips, but stopped when he saw the young king approach.

"May I talk to you Miranda?" King Edmund asked.

"Of course," said Miranda.

"When I can get you alone Miranda," Orieus said, "I have some questions."

"I know."

Orieus then left Miranda and King Edmund.

Edmund was silent for a moment, as if not sure how to start.

"I believe that I owe you two huge things Miranda," he began, and Miranda finally noticed his British accent. "The first thing is that I owe you an apology. I understand that Hunta was your friend."

Miranda looked down. Yes. He had been her friend. She only nodded her head.

"I know that I have no right to ask for your forgiveness…"

"Don't King Edmund. There is nothing to forgive. I know that you were trying to protect him."

"It still gives me no right to do what I did."

Edmund took a deep breath before continuing.

"I also owe you a great deal of gratitude. You saved my life you know."

Miranda laughed, and said;

"No thanks needed sire."

For the first time since Miranda had met him, Edmund smiled.

"Child," Miranda heard a soft voice say behind her.

She turned around, and saw her heart's true desire. Aslan was even more beautiful than she could have even begun to imagine.

"Follow me," he said.

And Miranda gladly did.

They walked silently for some time before Aslan said;

"You did a brave and noble thing back there, and I do not just speak of your rescuing King Edmund last night." Aslan turned to look her straight in the eye. "Forgiveness is something many people have not mastered, yet your heart gave it freely."

"Sir, I have always heard that you should treat others the way that you want to be treated. I would want forgiveness for my actions, as he wanted forgiveness for his."

Aslan nodded his head, and began walking again. Miranda followed.

"What does your heart tell you to do now?" Aslan asked.

"Aslan," Miranda began, "I have many doubts in myself, and I still do not think that I am yet a warrior. I am not even sure that I should even be considered one."

"You doubt the fact that I chose you, you mean."

"Aslan, you could have chosen so many others who are stronger than I. Quicker, smarter, you could have chosen anyone better than me."

Aslan was silent a moment, but not because he was thinking about what to say.

"When I choose someone, I never make a mistake. I chose you not for your strength or speed, but for your heart."

"My heart is broken sir," Miranda sobbed.

"Which is why you must let me mend it. Your heart has so much good in it, but you are right, it is broken. It is hurt. It is weak. But to be well again, you must let me mend it."

Miranda fell to her knees in front of the great Lion.

"Then mend it," she whispered.

Aslan came up closely to Miranda's face. Opening his mouth, he breathed upon her. Suddenly, Miranda's heart felt light. She closed her eyes as it move through her. She no longer felt as if a burden was on it anymore. She felt strong and brave and loved once more. When she opened her eyes, they had tears in them.

"Hold out the hilt of your sword to me," Aslan said.

Miranda took out the sword, and as Aslan's paw touched the hilt, the sword changed. The blade became longer and sharper, and the hilt became gold with a red ruby on the handle. As the sword changed, so did Miranda. Her hair became thick and full once more, and her skin was no longer pale white.

"Do you Miranda," Aslan said, "Promise to protect Narnia when enemies cross its borders? Do you promise to guard its people when danger comes through your path? And do you promise, to protect the Kings and Queens of Narnia, no matter what the cost? Even unto death?"

A few seconds before, Miranda would have said no. But not know.

"I, Miranda, by your will, promise to do the things that you have asked. I cannot promise that bad things will not come. I cannot even promise that I will not fail. But I do promise to do these things to the best of my abilities, until death takes me.

"That is all that you can give," Aslan said, smiling. "Rise, Miranda the Courageous, the First Warrior of Narnia!"

Miranda stood up, and felt that finally, she had found the place she belonged.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Orieus ran around the camp, looking for Aslan.

"_This is not good. This is not good," _his mind screamed.

Finally, he found both Aslan and Miranda walking down from the hill that overlooked the ocean. He raced toward them.

"Aslan!" Orieus shouted.

"What is it Orieus?" Aslan asked softly. (Of course, he really knew what was happening, but decided to let Orieus tell him. He had, after all, been running rampant searching for him).

"The White Witch has demanded a meeting with you Sire!"

"Let her through."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter stood close beside his brother as the White Witch entered the camp. Her eyes were so cold that they could probably kill someone. She was being carried by four Cyclops on a high chair. Peter looked over toward Aslan. Aslan just looked straight into the Witch's eyes, not moving. Peter then looked over to Orieus. He almost looked nervous. Then Peter noticed a girl standing beside Orieus.

"Who is that?" Peter whispered to his brother. Edmund broke out of his thoughts, and looked to where Peter looked. Edmund gasped.

"What is it?" Peter asked, slightly alarmed.

"She looks different!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Miranda, she looks different."

"Who is she?"

"Oh," Edmund jolted himself, realizing that he had told none of his siblings about the night before. "Her name is Miranda. She saved my life last night at the Witch's camp."

"How did she do that?"

Edmund almost laughed, despite the situation.

"I'll tell you at a more appropriate time."

Because right then, the Witch had come down from the high chair, and began walking towards Aslan. She took one look over at Edmund, and Edmund thought he might be sick.

"You have a traitor in your midst Aslan," she began, her voice hard.

"His offense was not against you," said Aslan softly, the opposite of the Witch.

"Have you forgotten the law's upon which Narnia was built?" the Witch asked.

"Don't cite the deep magic to me Witch," Aslan growled, "I was there when it was written."

The Witch's gaze slightly broke. But she continued.

"Then you will remember well that every traitor belongs to me. His blood is my property."

"_No," _Peter's heart screamed, "_I will not lose him again!"_

Peter drew his sword, and took five steps toward the Witch.

"Try and take him then!" He all but shouted.

The Witch just looked down on him and taunted;

"Do you really that mere force will deny me my right, little King?"

Peter's face dropped, and he lowered his sword. The Witch again spoke, but this time, turned to speak to the other Narnians as well

"Aslan knows that unless I have blood as the law demands, all of Narnia will be overturned, and perish in fire and water! That boy," she shouted, pointing at Edmund, "Will die, on the Stone Table! As is tradition." She looked to Aslan. "You dare not refuse me."

"Would the blood of another pay the price?" a shout suddenly rang out. Peter turned to see that the girl had stepped forward.

"And who might you be?" the Witch asked, annoyed.

"My name is Miranda."

"She is the one," a wolf beside the Witch shouted. "I recognize her scent. She is the one that took him."

The Witch's eyes became like steel.

"And what is it that you said?"

"Would the blood of another pay the price for King Edmund's life?"

"Miranda!" Aslan shouted.

"Are you saying that you would take the place of King Edmund?" the Witch asked.

"Yes," Miranda replied, her eyes set.

"Enough," Aslan said sternly, "I shall talk to you both alone."

Aslan went inside his tent, followed by the White Witch. Miranda came last, leaving her weapons outside of the tent.

They were in there for what seemed like hours. Whether it really was hours, or if it was just everyone's agitation, I don't even think they knew. But finally, the three came out.

The Witch came out first, looking like she was trying to hide her pleasure but couldn't. Aslan and Miranda came out walking side by side, their faces still and unreadable. For a few moments, there was silence. Then Aslan's voice rang clear as he said;

"She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood."

The Narnians burst into cheering.

Then the Witch's voice was heard saying;

"How will I know that your promise will be kept?"

Aslan roared angrily at the Witch, his face becoming hard and terrible.

The Witch quickly sat down in her chair.

Lucy couldn't believe it! Her brother would be alright! She looked at Aslan with a smile on her face. That smile quickly vanished. Aslan's head was stooped low, and Miranda's face fell. Neither of them looked like they had won a victory. It looked like they had just tasted defeat.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Lucy turned in her bed again. Why couldn't she sleep? It was as if the air had become stuffy, and the atmosphere was agitated. She turned over again to look over at her sleeping sister. Why could everyone sleep but her?

Then she heard footsteps. She turned around to see two silhouettes walking. One was Aslan.

"Susan!" Lucy whispered to her sister.

Susan's eyes fluttered open, and saw Lucy walk out of the tent. Susan quickly grabbed her quiver and horn, and followed.

Lucy and Susan followed the two figures deep into the dark forest.

"I know that one is Aslan," Lucy whispered, "But who is the other one?"

"I don't know," Susan replied.

As the two got closer, they could hear the two in a heated discussion.

"Please Aslan, let me do it," one said.

"Child, the Witch will have none but me."

"But sir, you can do so much more for the kings and queens. More than I can."

"Child!"

"Please Aslan! I do not know what else to live for. One day I will have to go back. Back to my own country. There is nothing for me there!"

"Child," Aslan whispered softly. "You have so much to live for. More than you know. Never let me hear that you have nothing. You have so many virtues that will do Narnia good, and weaknesses that can have a remedy here. You are right when you say that one day you will go back, but it will not be today, and it will not be soon. Take it while you can. Waste no time."

"Yes Aslan," sobbed the other one.

"Will you do something for me?" he suddenly asked.

"Anything."

"Protect them."

"With my life Aslan."

Susan and Lucy darted to another tree as they saw a human form put its arms around Aslan's neck.

The corner of Miranda's eye saw them.

"Aslan, the two queens are here," she whispered.

"I know child."

"Do you want me to try and take them back with me?"

"You will already have your hands full. Let them follow me."

Susan and Lucy tried to get behind the tree as far as they could as the other figure headed back for the camp. They stayed behind the tree until it had passed, then darted to another.

"Shouldn't you both be in bed?"

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda did not sleep that night. The air became tighter, and the earth seemed to stand still. Miranda sat up in her bed. It would happen soon. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew. The river became quiet, the wind stood still, the trees didn't move. The earth was waiting, waiting.

Suddenly, the earth trembled. The rocks near the camp shook. The river sounded like thunder. The trees thrashed their branches. And Miranda wept. It was done, complete, _finished._

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"No!" Orieus screamed when the King Peter told him what the Dryad had said. "He can't be dead! He just can't!"

Orieus ran to Miranda's tent. She was already out and dressed.

"Miranda!" Orieus shouted as he drew closer. Miranda's face turned towards him, and it looked to him as if she had not slept at all.

"He's dead Miranda! Aslan is dead!"

"I know Orieus."

She said it so softly, so sadly, but peaceably, as if…..

"You knew about this?"

"Yes Orieus."

"And you didn't say anything?"

"I promised Aslan I would not."

Orieus did not care who she had promised. He ran back to the king's angrily.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Edmund looked over to his brother. His face looked so confused right now. He had been so sure the day before, but now with Aslan gone, it seemed as if he had lost his confidence. Edmund looked up at Orieus, but he too seemed at a loss.

"Peter, there is an army out there, and its ready to follow you."

"I can't"

"Aslan believed you could. And so do I."

Peter looked over to his brother. When had this little boy grown up?

Edmund swiftly looked straight in front of him, and Peter followed his gaze.

Miranda was heading towards them.

She came up to the table they were at, and bowed low. Then, saying in a voice both determined and strong;

"If I may be so bold your majesties."

She knelt on one knee and took her sword out of its sheath, laying it before them.

"I Miranda, by the will and word of the great Lion Aslan, have been given the name as the first warrior of Narnia. I pray you kings and your queen sisters will allow me to stand by your side when there are battles to fight, protect you when enemies mean you harm, kill those that would destroy you, and, if it comes to the end, that I should die in the place of your life. This I promise to do to the best of my abilities. Please accept what I have to offer, for I can give nothing more."

Peter was dumbfounded. He had no earthly clue what to say. But before he had a chance to say anything stupid, Edmund stepped forward and took Miranda's sword.

"I Edmund, King of Narnia by the will of Aslan, accept your gift, and charge you with my life."

Peter stepped forward, and put his hand on the sword Edmund held.

"I Peter, High King of Narnia by the will of Aslan, accept your gift, and charge you with my life as well."

Orieus suddenly stepped forward, and raised his sword in a salute.

"And I Orieus, general of Aslan's army promise fealty to you. Only the King's word shall be higher than yours."

Miranda stood up and sheathed her sword.

"The Witch's army is nearing sire, "Orieus said. "What are your orders?"

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter may have looked calm, but he felt like he was going to be sick. Looking up to the sky, he saw the leader of the griffins swooping down.

The griffin landed beside him, and began to speak in a very quick voice;

"They come your highness, in numbers and weapons far greater than our own!"

"Numbers do not win a battle," stated Orieus on Peter's left.

"No," Peter said, "But I bet they help."

He looked over the plain, and was starting to see the Witch's army. As they came up closer and closer, he finally saw the Witch. She was in a chariot driven by two white bears, and it looked as if she had a mane around her.

"_Aslan's mane!" _he thought angrily.

He looked behind his shoulder at his brother Edmund. Edmund nodded at him, and he turned back around. Taking a deep breath, and setting his gaze, he drew his sword. Narnians behind him roared and cheered.

Her general, a Minotaur, roared back, and began to lead the Witch's army towards them.

Peter sliced his sword through the air, and griffins began pouring from the sky. Their leader flew up from beside Peter, and led them on.

They watched as the griffins through down the rocks they were carrying, but they also saw many fall under the Witch's dwarf's deadly arrows.

Peter turned to Orieus.

"Are you with me?"

"To the death."

Peter looked over to his right. Miranda sat bareback on a coal black horse. She wore silver armor, and a coat of arms in red and gold. The only thing that was different was that she had refused to wear a helmet.

"Miranda?"

Miranda looked over at him, and said;

"Do you even have to ask?"

Peter smiled. No he didn't.

He looked over at the oncoming army. Just a few more seconds.

They hit the mark! Peter raised his sword high in the air, and shouted;

"For Narnia! And For Aslan!"

The pure white unicorn he rode reared up and neighed into the clear air.

"For Aslan!" Miranda screamed beside him.

Peter urged the unicorn, and they ran for the attack.

The world seemed to suddenly go in slow motion. Peter could feel the steps of the unicorn. He could sense Orieus and Miranda at his sides. He could almost feel the heated breath of their opponents. He put the visor on his helmet over his face, and continued running. Running, Running.

Spears hit minotaurs, cats hit cats, and the battle began. Peter swung his sword down at a white tiger on top of one of the leopards. Orieus hit a two minotaurs with his swords. Miranda's bow was shooting down dwarf's, hags, and the next second, her sword took out a werewolf.

Miranda soon saw that they were indeed outnumbered. For every centaur there was, there was three minotaurs. For every faun there was, there was two werewolves. And still they fought. Miranda was shooting arrows like crazy, hitting every target she cited. Her dagger had killed many leg cutters, and her sword had taken on too many things for her to count. She looked over to King Peter. He seemed to be alright at the moment, but they needed to do something quick before….

"Oh no!" Miranda exclaimed. The Witch had started moving in another part of her army in.

"Peter!" She shouted. He looked over toward her, and she pointed to the Witch. Seeing what she saw, he raised his sword again. Within a few moments, a phoenix was flying through the air, his body a huge burst of fire. It made a line in between them and the Witch's oncoming army.

The Narnians cheered, but Miranda was worried. Something wasn't right. And she soon found out why. Not 10 seconds after the line was made, it disappeared in a burst of the Witch's ice.

"Fall back," Miranda heard Peter shout, "Draw them to the rocks."

"Come on," she urged the horse beneath her, whose name was Onyx.

"Right away," neighed Onyx.

And the Narnians ran towards the rocks.

As they neared the rocks, Miranda could hear the arrows being shot at the enemies behind them, and could see Edmund in the midst of the archers. Edmund's face all of a sudden changed into a face full of fear, and it was not for himself.

Miranda turned around. Peter was on the ground! Without another thought, Miranda turned Onyx around, and ran towards him. When she got beside Peter, she dismounted and started shooting. Peter dazedly got up, and turned around for a moment.

"Stop!" he shouted, and Miranda watched as Orieus and a rhino charged the Witch's army, trying to give him enough time to get away. Miranda shot as many creatures as she could before the rhino went down. She continued shooting more of the monsters until she had no more arrows. Edmund popped suddenly beside her, and Peter was on the other.

"Narnia!" Miranda shouted, attacking them with her sword. Peter and Edmund were close behind her.

They were still fighting them an hour later, but Miranda knew that they could not hold out much longer. Peter seemed to think so too.

"Edmund, there's too many! Get out of here! Get the girls, and get them home!"

Miranda watched as Edmund got away, waiting to see if he would need any help. He got safely away. Miranda turned around, and saw a werewolf coming up on Peter.

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Peter turned around just as the werewolf was about to spring up on him. But just when it would have gotten him, it stopped. The werewolf dropped dead, and Peter looked up to see Miranda taking her dagger out of it.

"Thanks!" he shouted before crossing blades with a minotaur.

Miranda looked to her right, and saw the White Witch coming closer, her wand turning everything that came in her path into stone.

Then Miranda looked at the cliff above the Witch. Edmund was there, a determined look on his face.

"No," Miranda whispered as she ran towards them. She saw Edmund come down on the Witch. She saw the Witch try to unarm him. And then she watched as Edmund sliced her wand in half. A burst of blue light emerged as the wand's magic broke. The Witch's face rapidly became like steel. She quickly unarmed him, and then…

"Edmund!" Peter screamed as the Witch stabbed his brother.

Miranda caught Edmund as he fell to the ground. Edmund looked up at her, watching the tears stream down her cheeks.

"Forgive me Edmund," she whispered, "I failed you."

He leaned up close so that she could hear.

"There is nothing to forgive."

Miranda heard the clang of swords, and she looked to see Peter and the White Witch in a heated battle. She broke herself out of the numbness that had come over her. She slowly laid Edmund on the ground, and picked up her sword.

As she stood up, she suddenly heard a loud roaring sound. Her heart lifting, she turned her head. A great lion leaped upon a rock, and roared into the wind, shining like the sun.

"Impossible."

And then from his left and right sides came tens of Narnians to help the tired out army.

So great was Miranda's joy, that she didn't notice that the Witch and Peter had continued fighting. The Witch had been able to wound Peter over his right eye, and now had him on the ground. Miranda ran as fast as her tired legs would carry her, and swung her sword.

The Witch turned around when she felt a pain go across her back. There stood that girl again. The girl that had challenged her. The girl that did not know when she was supposed to stop. The Witch swung her swords at the girl. The first sword missed, but the second sword dug into Miranda's forearm.

"Aahh!" Miranda screamed in pain.

But the Witch never got to enjoy her pain. She felt herself rapidly thrown back, and looked into eyes of gold. Aslan had returned to finish what she had started.

I shall not describe how he killed the Witch, just please note that he did.

Aslan turned around, and looked over at Miranda and Peter.

"It is finished."

"Peter," Susan and Lucy shouted to him. He turned around and hugged his younger sister. But Susan noticed something quickly.

"Where is Edmund?"

Peter, Susan, and Lucy ran over to the place that he was laying. He was struggling to breathe. Susan saw a dwarf coming up with an ax.

"Edmund!" Susan shouted, shooting an arrow. The dwarf fell dead.

The three siblings surrounded their brother. Susan took off Edmund's helmet, while Lucy took out a curious looking vial out of her belt. Opening the top, she put a single drop of the red liquid into Edmund's mouth. Miranda watched from a distance.

"_Please work," _Her heart whispered. _"Please work."_

Edmund coughed once, then twice. His eyes slowly fluttered open. He was Alive!

Peter grabbed Edmund and held him tight. His brother was alive! Peter pulled his brother back.

"When are you going to learn to do as you're told?" Peter said, his voice full of laughter.

Edmund smiled, and the four embraced in a tight circle.

**An hour later**

Orieus felt as if the breath had been knocked out of him, and he was taking a new breath again. His horse body followed his upper torso, and he fell to the ground.

"It is alright Orieus," he heard beside him. He looked in the direction of that beautiful voice. It was Aslan.

His heart was filled with joy. They had been victorious.

But a sudden thought nearly ruined that joy. Where was Miranda?

He ran around, looking for her. He found her, tending to some of the wounded. Her arm was bandaged, and she looked exhausted, but she was alive.

"Miranda!" He shouted.

Miranda turned around.

"Orieus!"

No one saw the embrace that two friends, a centaur and a human, shared. Except two. Two brothers stood side by side, watching the warrior and the general. Two brothers watched two friends. Great was the joy in their hearts.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Tumnus as well tended to those that were wounded. As he looked from one to another, he felt a small hand touch his shoulder. He turned to see neither Lucy nor Susan, but another daughter of Eve.

"I believe I have an explanation to give you Mr. Tumnus," she began. She introduced herself, and then continued to tell him about what she had done at his house.

"I believe I owe you an apology, and I am willing to pay for everything I took."

"No, no," Tumnus said. "I am glad that I could be of some help to you." That brought a laugh to both of them.

"But I believe that I can return one thing to you," she said, reaching into her belt. She took out his flute.

As Tumnus took the flute in his hands, he could feel a short resistance when she let go. He looked up at her, then back down at the flute. She didn't know it, but he had another.

"Keep it. I think that you need it more than I."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

The next morning, the kings and queens were coroneted.

"To the glittering Eastern Sea, I give you Queen Lucy, the Valiant. To the great Western Wood, I give you King Edmund, the Just. To the radiant Southern Sun, I give you Queen Susan, the Gentle. And to the clear Northern Sky, I give you King Peter, the Magnificent."

"Once a King or Queen of Narnia," Aslan said," Always King or Queen. May your wisdom grace us until the stars rain down from the heavens."

"_Long live King Peter, Long Live King Edmund, Long Live Queen Susan, Long Live Queen Lucy."_

Miranda cheered with the other Narnians. Her heart was full of joy for them, but still, something nagged at her.

She sat outside on the balcony, listening to the party inside. A voice behind her made her turn around.

"Now what is this I hear. You accepted being Warrior of Narnia?" a familiar face said.

"Hunta!"

The fox jumped into Miranda's arms. It felt good to see him again.

"Now," he said, "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"I don't know Hunta. I feel good for them. But not good for myself."

"Why is that?"

Miranda almost couldn't say it.

"Hunta… I failed them. The King Edmund almost died because I was not there. Because I could not protect him, he almost died."

"Miranda," Hunta scolded, "You need to stop expecting so much from yourself. You are still young, you will make mistakes. Learn from them, instead of beating yourself down about them."

"But…"

"No buts," Hunta interrupted. "Think about what I said Miranda, then come inside."

Hunta then left her to her thoughts, but not for long. Two familiar figures soon came out to the balcony as well. Peter and Edmund.

"Hunta told us."

Miranda sighed.

"That is the last time I tell him anything."

The two brothers laughed.

"You know Miranda," Edmund began, "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not Miranda. I made the decision to go and do what I did. And if I remember correctly, I already told you that there was nothing to be forgiven."

"But…"

"Miranda," Peter interrupted, "Try to understand. Lots of other things might have happened today, things that did not happen because you were protecting us. What happened was a mistake. It was no one's fault. Stop being so hard on yourself and expecting more than you can give. You gave your all at that battle. And we would not take back our trust in you for anything."

Miranda's eyes lifted.

"Do you promise that?"

"We both do," they said at the same time.

Miranda smiled. All was well now. The two kings led her into the castle, and the celebrations lasted for hours. But the celebrations in Miranda's heart lasted years.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**OK, I know it is a huge chapter, but it is not the last chapter. Next chapter will come hopefully soon.**

**Thank you for reading! HisWarrior**


	4. What Happened in Between

**What happened in Between**

He walked one way. Then he walked the other. Then he walked back again.

"Edmund, you're going to where a hole in the floor," a small female voice said.

Edmund stopped his pacing, and looked over at his younger sister. The three siblings sat in the throne room of Cair Paravel. Glass windows were on every side to let in the bright sunlight, and marble stone reflected the floor.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Lucy laughed.

"They'll come when they come. And the messenger said they would come today. So stop worrying," said Edmund's elder sister, Susan.

"It's been nearly two months since he left," Edmund said. "I think that I have a good reason to want him home faster."

"Peter is alright Edmund. You need to stop worrying and be patient."

Five minutes later, it was Susan pacing.

"I thought you said not to worry," laughed Edmund.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter smelled the fresh air. It felt so good to be home. But he felt good about the events that had happened. They had stopped the northern barbarians from coming, and had made an alliance with Archenland.

"_Two birds with one stone," _he thought.

Though Archenland had been wonderful, and the king and queen had been generous, Peter had decided it was time to head home. They had invited them to stay longer, but Peter knew that neither he nor the other Narnians wanted to.

Peter looked to his left at a large centaur, the general Orieus. His steps had suddenly become lighter and freer. He then looked to his right. Miranda looked like she was about to pass out on her horse Onyx, but the light in her eyes shone bright. They could all feel it. The Narnian air that made them strong was quickly working on them.

"Want to race home?" He asked the companions beside him. He never got an answer. The next second, the two were running for Cair Paravel.

"No fair!"

Miranda and Orieus only laughed.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Edmund suddenly heard pounding hooves. He raced from the throne room to an outer balcony overlooking the courtyard. Looking to the gates, he saw a centaur, and two human figures enter.

"Susan! Lucy!" Edmund shouted, as he raced down the stairs. He could feel his sisters behind him as they ran into the courtyard. A golden haired young man came down from his horse, and was attacked by his three siblings.

"By golly, give me room to catch my breath!" Peter exclaimed, but his voice was full of laughter. Miranda smiled, and took the reins of his white horse. She would let him spend some time with his family.

Leading Onyx and Peter's horse to the stables, Miranda sighed. It felt good to be home.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda had planned on sleeping in the next morning, but the morning would not let her. As soon as the sun came up, it shone through her window and woke her up. She opened her eyes, and looked around the room. Silk curtains hung inside a balcony facing the sea, and the room was the color of creamy stones.

"Why did I pick a room with a window that faces east?"

But as she got up and out of bed, she was glad that she had been woken up early. The morning was beautiful. Miranda watched as the sun rose over the sea's horizon. She heard the mermaids sing, and watched young centaur colts playing in the fields.

Miranda dressed in some fresh clothing, put her weapons on, and left her room.

"Warrior!" she heard in the hallway.

She turned around to see a faun running towards her.

"What is it good faun?" she asked.

"Werewolves have been seen near Lantern Waste!"

Miranda sighed. Would they ever be rid of the Witch's minions?

"Saddle Onyx and put provisions in his saddle bags! Then call up a group of ten to fifteen soldiers!" She ordered the faun. Then she went to find Tumnus.

She found him in the library looking over some documents.

"Mr. Tumnus," she said.

"Miranda, you are up early," Tumnus exclaimed.

"And it's a good thing too. Werewolves have been spotted near Lantern Waste. If you would inform their majesties of where I have gone, I would most appreciate it."

"Of course Miranda," Tumnus replied, but with an expression on his face that Miranda couldn't read.

"Thank you."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Tumnus was worried. Miranda had not been home yet for twenty-four hours, and already they needed her to do something. It didn't seem right to him. But if she was determined to go, go she would. That was one thing he had learned about her.

He walked into the royal rooms were the Kings and Queens were just finishing breakfast. Tumnus smiled as he looked over at the High King. Already he looked much better after a full nights rest.

He bowed before them as he approached.

"Mr. Tumnus, good morning," Lucy said with enthusiasm. She was always happy to see her best friend.

"Good morning Lucy, your majesties."

"And a good morning to you too Mr. Tumnus," Peter said with laughter in his voice. "It is good to see you again."

"And it is good to see you as well your highness after all the worrying you had us in."

That set everyone laughing.

"You look troubled," Susan said suddenly, and Tumnus had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. No one could keep things hidden for long with her around.

"To be precise Queen Susan, I have come with a message from the warrior."

"Really?" King Peter said, surprised.

"Yes sire. Apparently, werewolves were spotted near Lantern Waste, and Miranda was asked to help immediately."

"And she went?" Peter questioned.

"It appeared to be urgent sir. And you know how she can get."

Peter closed his eyes. Yes, he did know.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda's sword dug into the heart of yet another werewolf, and she took a moment to look around her. When they said that they needed help, they needed help! It was a huge pack of werewolves; she thought about 30 to 40 of them. And they had to chase them for miles before they had gotten close enough for an attack.

She stood beside Hunta and Orieus as they surveyed the scene before them. All of the werewolves were dead, and thankfully, none of their own had been killed. Some were badly wounded, some were so exhausted that they couldn't stand, but the job was done. Miranda looked up to the sky. It was just after noon.

"Orieus, send a messenger to Cair Paravel to report on our success. Have the messenger also tell the Kings and Queens that we should be back at around dusk."

"Of course Miranda," the centaur general replied.

Miranda was exhausted. She walked over to Onyx, and rubbed his sweaty back.

"You did well most noble steed."

"As did you great warrior," Onyx replied.

"He is right Miranda," Hunta's voice said behind Miranda. "But to be quite frank with you, I believe that you need a rest."

"The fox is also right," Onyx commented.

"Oh wonderful! Now I have two talking animals looking after my welfare," Miranda said with a laugh.

Hunta and Onyx joined in the laugh with her, but quickly became serious again.

"Miranda, you are looking more tired than normal," Hunta noted.

"And paler as well," Onyx added.

Miranda sighed and said;

"I needed more than one night of sleep to completely recuperate. But don't worry about it. A few days of better rest and I will be fine."

Hunta and Onyx said nothing more, and the matter was dropped. But Miranda did not know that even after that, both of them doubted that she would be given the chance to rest.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

It was now a week since they had come back, and Peter was beginning to worry about Miranda. He had been informed by Hunta and Onyx of their worries. And though Peter had tried to keep news of other raids or attacks from Miranda, someone always got word to her. And now, the toll of it was really showing on her.

Peter paced the throne room, waiting. Finally, his general stepped through the door.

"Orieus, thank you for coming so quickly."

"I had a feeling of what this was going to be about, so I didn't even hesitate to come sir," Orieus replied.

Peter looked right into the deep set eyes of the centaur.

"Miranda has been out doing things every day since we got back from Archenland. I have yet to see her rest, let alone get a moment to tell her to stop."

"I know your highness, but even I cannot keep news from getting to her. If it were reported to someone besides herself, maybe a solution would be found."

Peter turned around to look at the sunset. The sun had become a deep orange, and shadows could be seen on the grassy hills.

"She has enough on her plate without having to go out and fight battles that can be won without her." Peter turned to face his general. "Find some trusted men of yours. Put them up as captains for the scouts to report to. Unless absolutely necessary, I do not want Miranda going out for fights that others can win."

Orieus smiled, and bowed down to his young king. He left the throne room to do as King Peter commanded, and Peter went to go find Miranda.

He found her along the beach, asleep. He smiled. Surely now, things would get better.

As if she knew someone was there, Miranda woke up, and started when she saw him watching her.

"King Peter! Forgive me sire! I…"

"Miranda, it's alright!" Peter interrupted. "In fact, I am hoping to catch you asleep more often."

"Sir?"

"Miranda, name one day this week that you rested well."

Miranda didn't answer him.

"Exactly." Then Peter proceeded to tell her of his meeting with Orieus, and what they had decided.

"But, Peter…"

"No more buts Miranda!" Peter ordered. "Now go inside, get in your bed, and actually sleep. That is an order."

Peter watched Miranda's shoulders relax, and a smile light on her face.

"Thank you Peter."

Peter smiled. No sire. No your highness. No King. Just Peter.

"No need for thanks Miranda."

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Orieus looked over at Peter and the letter that he had just handed the King. The two were standing in the council room where they often held meetings of great importance or urgency. Maps hung on one wall, and portraits of past kings and queens hung on another. Both started when they heard the door opened. Miranda entered.

"You sent for me sire."

"Yes I did Miranda. I wish you to look at this."

As Miranda crossed the room, Orieus looked over them closely. Over three years ago, the two had never felt a sword before, and now neither went without one by their side. Back then, neither had fought before. And now, both held battle scars. Peter, now 18, had grown another 4 inches, and his shoulders were becoming broader. Miranda, now the age of 17, almost matched Peter in height; having grown 3 inches, and her hair now reached down to her chest. The two had indeed changed, and it made Orieus smile.

Orieus watched as Miranda read the letter, and as her expression quickly changed.

"Surely you are not really thinking about doing this!" Miranda exclaimed.

"I have to admit," Peter began, "I was surprised when I read the letter, but right now, I am considering it. It would be good to have peace with Calormene."

"Yes, it would be good, but impossible," Miranda protested.

"Impossible! Miranda, think of all the good that could be done through this. We could finally have peace with a country that has never wanted peace before."

"Do you not see what it says though Peter?! Over 50 of them would be here! I do not protest upon peace talks, but only one or two, possibly three people are needed for that. 50 is asking too much."

"Do you really think so?"

"I do."

Peter stroked his chin for a few minutes.

"What if I asked them to lessen the number, say, by at least half of what they ask?"

"Are you really wishing to do this sire?" Miranda asked in a disbelieving voice.

"I wish for peace Miranda," Peter replied, agitation showing over her concerns.

"Then do as you wish sire," she said in a defiant tone, "Just don't ask me to be any part of this!"

With that, Miranda left the room.

Peter paced the floor. Suddenly, he stopped to look his general in the eye.

"Am I being unreasonable Orieus?"

Orieus had to admit that even he was surprised at Miranda's reaction. It was unlike her to argue or disagree with anything King Peter said. This was very unlike her.

"I do not believe so sir?"

"Then why did she react like that? You know her better than many of us."

"Yes sire, but even I am surprised how she just reacted. It is very strange for her to react that way at all!"

"That is what is puzzling me Orieus. That reaction, that attitude, it's something she would not normally do."

"I wonder what is troubling her so much about this your highness."

Peter looked at the open door that Miranda had exited through.

"So do I Orieus. So do I."

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda's hair whipped across her face as she rode Onyx, running as fast as his legs could go.

What was Peter thinking? Bringing so many Calormenes here? Peter saw only the good that could come out of the peace talks. But Miranda saw a great deal of bad. Why would they ask for such a large number of men to come for a peace talk? It was too many. Even cutting the number by half was asking her too much. 25 of them within Cair Paravel would be enough to capture all 4 kings and queens without any problem at all.

It was Miranda's job to make sure that the kings and queens were safe. But Peter's actions in doing this made it a lot harder than it needed to be. Sighing, she reined Onyx in and turned him around, back to Cair Paravel.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

4 days later in Calormene, a young man named Rahashan read a letter sent from Narnia. A smile crept up his face as he read its contents.

"Perfect," he muttered.

"What is perfect?" a voice questioned.

Rahashan looked up from his letter. He was sitting at the head of a long table, where 9 other men sat, all sitting on cushions of silk. The room had a tall ceiling, and 10 windows looking out from every side. There were foreign markings on the walls, and two arches over the entrance doors, with gold bars over them. Last of all was a tile mosaic of their god, Tash, on the ceiling.

"I have just received a letter from the high king of Narnia. He welcomes us and graciously accepts meeting us for our… peace terms."

The men around the table smiled and laughed.

"But, he does have one request…"

The men fell silent.

"…that we lessen our number of representatives to half."

The men seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Half?" the voice at the other end of the table spoke. A dark skinned man with a scar over one eye smiled. "That is still enough."

"Yes," Rahashan whispered. "It is enough."

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

A few days later, Peter read another letter. Similar to the last one he had received, but with a reply. A smile crossed his face.

"_Finally," _hethought_, "Our two kingdoms will have peace!"_

Peter tensed when he heard footsteps outside of the council room. He had ordered no one to come in. Putting a hand to the hilt of his sword, he waited for the doors to open.

The doors burst open, and Miranda stepped in. Peter's muscles relaxed, but he felt slightly angered by the scare.

"I ordered no one to enter for a reason Miranda! Please do not startle me to death."

"Forgive me sire, but I did have a matter that had to come past the orders of the king."

"What does that mean Miranda?"

"It means that I had to really sneak past Orieus to get in here."

Peter burst into laughter. Whatever anger he had felt vanished. She really did have a good reason to see him, especially to get past Orieus.

"What is it then?" he said, trying to sound serious, but failing.

"Calormen sir, are at the outer border of Narnia, near the great falls."

"Already?!" Peter gasped.

"Ah," Miranda sighed, "I had a feeling that you had gotten word."

"Yes, but I did not expect them so suddenly!"

"Obviously sir, they took the meaning of your letter well. They probably began packing the minute they sent that," she replied, looking at the letter in his hand.

Peter put his hand on Miranda's shoulder and said;

"Thank you so much for this information. I need to get out there to greet them immediately!"

Peter nearly ran to the doors, and was just about to open them when he heard Miranda's voice speaking to him.

"I believe that I owe you an apology my king." Peter stopped and turned around. Miranda's head was bowed low, and her words were soft. "It is not my place to be so harsh upon the decisions that you make. You are trying to do what is best for your kingdom, and I nearly bit your head off."

Miranda took a deep breath, and continued.

"It was neither my wish to part the way that we did. I ask your forgiveness sire."

Peter let out a relieved sigh. For the past week, they had not talked at all about what had happened. Come to think of it, Peter couldn't remember talking much to each other at all. But here Miranda was, apologizing about her reactions and what had happened.

"Apology accepted Miranda. And I thank you," Peter replied, and then opened the door.

As he was closing the door, he noticed Miranda had not moved.

"Aren't you coming?" Peter asked.

"If you please Peter, allow me a few minutes for Orieus to get away before I come out."

Peter had to contain his laughter.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Rahashan allowed a small smile to cross his face as he saw the kings and queens of Narnia riding out towards them. Behind them were other Narnian representatives and creatures.

He looked at the golden haired boy, who must be the High King Peter, and had to keep himself from laughing. He must be no more than 18, younger than Rahashan had expected. A golden crown with high tiers in the shape of leaves rested over his golden hair, and sea blue eyes were noticeable as he wore robes of midnight blue and gold; riding a horse of purest white. To his right, another young boy rode on a chestnut horse, his hair and eyes dark brown. A silver crown with vine shapes covering it sat on his head, and he wore silvery blue robes. To the left of the kings, Rahashan saw two young girls; the queens of Narnia. One was nearly a woman, with a crown of golden blossoms in full bloom shaping over her dark brown hair. Her blue eyes were accentuated with the violet dress she wore as she rode a dark brown horse. The youngest of the rulers rode a gray horse, her dark brown hair holding a crown of small silver flowers. Her eyes were the same blue as her sister's, and she wore a dress of crimson red and gold.

Rahashan bowed before the kings and queens as they approached, as did the 25 other representatives from Calormene.

"Welcome to the land of Narnia! Arise weary travelers," the high king's voice shouted.

"Your welcome is most appreciated your majesty," replied the Calormenes.

"If I may ask, whom is your chosen leader?" his voice rang out.

Rahashan stepped forward, and said;

"I am sire. These men chose me as their leader."

"Then please come forward," the King requested, dismounting his horse.

Rahashan walked towards the young king, and they grasped each other's hands.

"I see that you took no time to get here," the King Peter laughed.

Rahashan laughed with him.

"Yes sire, we did not want to waste any time."

"I am glad to hear that. Now if I may make official introductions sir…."

"My name is Lord Rahashan, of the House of Shasta."

"Then, Lord Rahashan, may I introduce my brother, King Edmund the Just," he said, indicating his brother. Rahashan bowed as the king nodded his head, "And my sisters, Queen Susan the Gentle, and Queen Lucy the Valiant." Again Rahashan bowed.

"And if may introduce the General Orieus," he continued, indicating perhaps the largest centaur Rahashan had ever seen.

"And, "the king began, raising his hand to behind Rahashan, "the Warrior of Narnia."

Now, I think it important for you to know just what went through Rahashan's mind before he turned around. The thoughts in his head went somewhat like this;

"_Aha, a warrior! Probably just the biggest and stupidest of bodyguards they could find. Should not be too much trouble."_

But as Rahashan turned around, his thoughts immediately turned the other direction. He then thought;

"_I might be wrong."_

What he saw was a young woman with piercing hazel eyes that seemed to look straight through him. She wore clothes of a man, with a sword and dagger hugging her waist, and a bow and quiver full of arrows on her back. She brought her hand towards him, and he grasped it in a handshake. Her eyes never left his face, and Rahashan flinched. Would she not stop staring at him?

"This is Miranda the Courageous, Lord Rahashan," King Peter stated, bringing him out of his reverie.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," she said.

"And your's Warrior," Rahashan replied, but didn't really mean it. She made him feel quite uncomfortable.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda reflected on the meeting with the Calormenes as they rode back to Cair Paravel. So far, they seemed perfectly calm and controlled, but Miranda had noticed the way that Rahashan's eyes had flinched when she looked at him.

She turned to look at the other Calormen. All of them were dark skinned and dressed in brightly colored silk clothing. Only one of them looked at all different from the others. That one was dressed in black, and a she noticed a scar across his right eye. Something seemed familiar about him; but what?

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter woke up the next day with a nagging feeling. It wasn't like he thought something bad was going to happen, or that he had done something wrong the day before. It was that sort of nagging that made you think that you had forgotten something.

He got out of his bed and took a deep breath. The morning air smelled good. He opened his eyes and glanced around his room. Scarlet red curtains hung by a wide window, held back by gold rope. The furniture was of purest ivory, and the bed was midnight blue. A large tapestry of the Battle at Beruna hung on the wall facing the west, and a painting of Aslan faced the north.

He quickly got up and dressed in clothes fit for sparring. He put his sword, Rhindon, on his waist, and ran out of the room. He felt good this day. He felt as if a huge weight was being lifted off his shoulders with the arrival of the Calormen.

He stopped by the kitchen to grab a small roll of bread, then raced down a flight of stairs to a circle of grass where he and his brother normally sparred. Edmund was already there, his sword in hand.

"You're late!" Edmund said strictly.

"I know, I know. I slept in late," Peter replied apologetically.

"Well, come on then. I'm going to lose anyway," Edmund whined. Orieus had very nearly ordered them to do this every morning, just to keep their skills sharp. While the Peter enjoyed the exercise, Edmund hated them. He never could get the upper hand of his brother.

"If I may watch your majesties," Peter heard from behind them, and turned to see Rahashan. Peter suddenly became wary, though he didn't know why. He was about to protested, but then he saw Miranda approach them out of the corner of his eye. Orieus was right behind her.

"Of course, Lord Rahashan," Peter replied, relaxing.

The two kings drew their swords, and attacked. Peter went for the defensive, and blocked every blow that Edmund tried to deal him.

"Watch your feet," Peter heard Miranda say, and he saw Edmund's foot position change.

Edmund tried from the left, then the right, then right again, but Peter gave him no opening. He then tried one of the sword tricks that Orieus had taught them, but Peter saw it coming and moved his sword away. Then Peter went into his offensive mode, and his brother went into the defensive. Peter slammed his sword again and again, and could feel his brother's grip on his sword weaken. Finally Edmund shouted;

"Enough Peter! I've had enough!"

"Well, that was mighty short king brother," Peter grinned.

"That is because I didn't practice at all while you were gone. It was longer than yesterday's though," Edmund protested, making Peter laugh.

"If you want a long duel sire, I can give you one," Miranda said from behind them.

Peter turned around, and the nagging feeling came back. Had he forgotten something?

"Are you certain Miranda? Last time we dueled, it was quite short, and I won."

"The last time we dueled was three months before we left for battle sir. I think that I want a rematch."

"Very well Miranda," Peter relented. But secretly, he was happy for the challenge.

He picked up his sword that he had dropped on the ground, and took position. Miranda drew her sword, Alanosa, and took her own position. Peter fully expected her to take the offensive and begin attacking, but Miranda just stood there, not moving. Peter took that as a challenge, and threw Rhindon on her. Alanosa was raised high, and the blow was blocked. The duel had begun.

One moment, Peter seemed to have the advantage, but then, Miranda made a move that would turn the table, and she would have the upper hand. Peter would slam his sword down on her in offense, the next second; he would have to quickly take the defensive. He was surprised at the quickness and fierceness of her attacks, but then, she would stop and take the defense. It was all so confusing!

Then, finally, something stopped the circle. Miranda suddenly jumped onto a higher rock and flipped over Peter, causing him to turn very fast. Head swimming, he swung his sword, missing her entirely. She landed on the soft grass floor, and kicked his legs out from under him. Peter fell, stunned. The next moment, he saw her sword inches away from his face.

"You lose," she pronounced, breathing heavily.

"So I do Miranda," Peter replied, sweat pouring from his brow. "You have greatly improved. Now, you need to teach me that last maneuver that you did."

"With pleasure your majesty," Miranda replied, obviously pleased.

"High King, never have I seen such a duel before!" Rahashan exclaimed from the side. "Such skill, such quickness, absolutely incredible!"

"I am glad that you have enjoyed yourself Lord Rahashan. Now, if it please you to gather the other representatives of your land, I shall meet you in the council room in half an hour."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

As soon as Rahashan was out of eyesight, his features quickly changed from pleasure to panic. He had been telling the truth when he said that he had never seen such a duel, but he lied by trying to make it a compliment.

That king fought like no Calormen he had ever seen! He was quick, cunning, skillful, and watched the moves of his opponent closely. And that warrior! Never had he seen someone that would have matched the king, yet this girl had. She had even beaten him! Maybe with a surprise move, but she still had.

They may have to change their plans.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda stood just outside the council room, pacing the floor. Every person in there had no weapons, and the kings and queens were surrounded by other Narnians. Why then was she so tense and worried? She didn't want to be. She wanted to be as happy and relieved about this as her monarchs were.

But she couldn't. A huge conflict arose within her. She wanted to help her kings and queens, but Miranda didn't see how they could have peace with a nation that did not share their love for Aslan. She did not even see a reason why they should have any dealings with people that worshipped another. It was dangerous, more dangerous than their majesties knew.

She continued to pace the floor when she felt someone behind her. Hand on her sword, she swung around, and gasped;

"Father Christmas!" she exclaimed.

He laughed at her surprised face. His long white-blonde beard reached down to his chest, and his round belly jiggled.

"If my calendar is correct, it is not Christmas yet," Miranda said, still surprised.

"Yes, yes I know. But it is another tradition for me to show up at every person's 18th birthday," he replied.

Miranda closed her eyes. How had she forgotten her own birthday? When she woke up, she knew what day it was, but it slipped her mind the rest of the day. Come to think of it, it seemed like everyone had forgotten, except one.

"Aslan told me to give you his best wishes," Father Christmas continued.

Scratch that. Two had remembered.

"Now, judging by the look on your face, you forgot."

Miranda laughed, and said;

"Yes sir. Things have been busier than normal."

"Yes young warrior, and I share your concern."

"Sir?" Miranda questioned, puzzled.

"I don't like them here anymore than you do," he explained.

Miranda felt her breathing become heavy.

"What am I supposed to do sir? Does Aslan have any advice for me?"

"No young one, but I do," he replied, "Continue to do what you have been doing so far, and stick to them like glue."

"That shouldn't be too hard," she said.

"No, it should not," he chuckled. "Now, I believe that we have postponed this long enough."

As he said the words, he pulled a small box from his pocket and held it out to her.

"Happy Birthday Miranda," he said, giving her the box.

Miranda took the box, and held it in front of her. What could it be? She opened the lid, reached in, and pulled out a necklace. But it was like no other necklace she had ever seen. A leather string twisted itself around a sword shaped pendant. The sword itself was made of silver and gold, with a small red ruby embedded at the hilt.

"This necklace is a special necklace indeed Miranda," Father Christmas began. "I give one of these to every person on their 18th birthday, and not one of them is exactly like another."

Father Christmas took the necklace from her hands, and slowly put it on her, tying it in place.

"Not one of them is exactly like another?"

"Not one Miranda," he whispered. He gave her a fatherly kiss on her forehead and said once more;

"Happy Birthday," and then, in a flash, he disappeared.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

One week later, Peter held a dance (they didn't call them balls in Narnia) in honor of their guests. Naiads and dryads, satyrs and fauns, centaurs and talking animals, the Calormenes, and the royal majesties.

Peter laughed as he watched his youngest sibling dance in a wild circle with Mr. Tumnus. He saw Lord Rahashan looking over at Susan, and had to keep himself in check. And he watched as his brother danced with a satyr.

Peter smiled at them all. Everything was going well. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Miranda in the shadows, her hand on her sword. He almost ran to her and began the screaming that he had been longing to do for days. But, knowing that it would make nothing better between them, he didn't.

Three days ago, Peter had come to her, asking her opinion on one of the peace matters they were settling.

"_I thought that I made it quite certain sire, that I was not going to have anything to do with this," she said._

"_Miranda, we need peace with Calormene," he replied._

"_No, Peter! The last thing we need is to have peace with them! The last thing we need is to have any dealings with…"_

"_Silence!" he shouted, "I will hear no more of this Miranda! No more of your incompetence of this situation, and no more of this disagreement about it! If you are not going to comply, you might just have to leave Narnia!_

That was the last time they had spoken, and they had not tried to make up after that. Peter thought that Miranda was just being unreasonable, but every time he saw her, he saw pain. Then he thought maybe he was wrong. Then he would see a Calormen, and his opinion would be as before.

He danced with a naiad, but at the corner of his eye, watched Edmund approach Miranda. They stood there for a long while, with Edmund sometimes nodding his head. Peter, ever watching, noticed Miranda wiping her eyes, and watched Edmund's hand pat her shoulder in sympathy.

A few moments later, Miranda left Peter's line of vision, and Edmund approached him.

"Peter, could I have a few moments?" his brother asked.

"Of course," Peter replied, hiding his agitation well. But it didn't fool his brother.

"Just do it," Edmund said through clenched teeth. Peter bowed to the naiad and followed his brother.

They went to the garden just outside of the throne room, and went just far enough for privacy. It was then that Peter said;

"Alright, what were you two talking about?"

Edmund sighed and said;

"Nothing gets past you brother."

"You're right Ed. Nothing does. Now, what were you two talking about?"

"Peter," Edmund began, shifted his gaze, then looked his brother straight in the eye, "Do you know what you have done?"

"I have tried to make peace with Calormene," Peter quickly replied.

"Yes, but do you know the damage you have done to Miranda? Do you know the severity of what you have said?" Edmund asked, his voice strained.

Peter was silent.

"Exactly Peter," Edmund said, exasperated, "You do not know the damage of what you have done to a friend Peter. Not a Calormene, but a friend, a Narnian, a person who has fought by our sides and saved both of our lives. One who has done all she can to protect us. You have broken the friendship you had!"

"What?!"

"Peter, the words you said that day have stayed with her. They have eaten her alive. She thinks that you hate her, and that the friendship that was becoming strong has split. You have not spoken to her, in fact, you have avoided her. And frankly, it has torn her apart!"

Peter felt his eyes go wide, and his breathing become shallow. But still, before he went to her, he had to know something.

"Ed, why does she fear this alliance so much?"

"She tried to tell you Pete, but you wouldn't listen. She does not think it wise to have any ties to a people that do not share our love for Aslan. Especially a people that worship another."

Peter's head dropped as he finally understood.

"Where is she Edmund?"

"By the beach Peter."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda breathed in and out slowly, trying to catch her breath as she lay on the sandy floor of the beach.

She had come to cry. As ashamed as she was to think it, that was the reason she had come. The emotion that she had held in for three days had finally taken a hold of her, and she could not keep it in anymore.

As her breathing calmed down, she felt the flute on her belt. Taking it out, she looked at the way the moonlight reflected off of the mahogany wood. She didn't feel like playing, but brought the flute up to her lips, and played a song. The waves seemed to become silent, and mermaid heads popped up to the surface, listening to a song that came from the heart.

When the final notes of the song faded away, Miranda heard a voice say;

"That was quite lovely Miranda."

Miranda jumped up, her hand going to her sword.

"Easy Miranda, it's just me," a familiar voice said, and Miranda recognized King Peter.

"Your highness, I did not realize that you were there," Miranda whispered. "I'm sorry, if you wish…"

"I'm sorry Miranda."

Miranda's eyes went wide.

"Sire?"

"Miranda," Peter began, taking two steps closer to her, "I am sorry. I was wrong, and I had no right to talk to you the way I did. I had no right to hurt you the way I did, and make the alliance of a Calormene more important than the feelings of my friend," he stopped, and Miranda realized that there were tears in his eyes.

"Peter, it's okay."

"No it's not Miranda. I hurt you. I…"

"Peter, you were looking for a way for peace. You were looking for a better life for Narnia."

"Yes, but in the wrong place. Edmund told me of where you stand. And you are right."

"Not all of the time sire. You were the one that made peace with Archenland, not I. In fact, I was not sure of that peace either. But you proved me wrong that time. I made a mistake, and you were right."

"Not this time," he said, head dropping.

"Peter, we all make mistakes. Remember the first battle we did together, the one with the White Witch?"

"How can I forget?"

"Remember what happened afterwards?"

"Yes," Peter said, "You felt so guilty about not keeping a better eye out on Edmund, that it took him and I both to convince you that it was just a mistake."

"Exactly Peter. That day, I realized that I am human, and that I will always make mistakes. And I also realized that other humans will make mistakes too." She smiled, and said; "Even kings."

Peter smiled back.

"All is forgiven my king, my friend."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Lord Rahashan sat in one of the private rooms they had been given with the ten other men that he most trusted.

"We will need to do it soon," the man with the scar said.

"I know, but we can't go for all four. They all can fight, I have watched them. And their warrior watches well. I have not seen hardly any of them without seeing her."

"Then get the high king. He is the most valuable, and the most trusting yet."

"Yes, but then what," Lord Rahashan said, frustrated.

"Hold him for ransom."

"Then what? We don't need more money!" Rahashan exclaimed.

"Not for money. For the kingdom. For a legal hand in marriage. Threaten them with the death of their king and brother, and they will comply."

Rahashan smiled, and looked over to the scarred man.

"I like how you think."

The Calormenes within the room cheered. Then, Lord Rahashan took a goblet of wine.

"A toast, to Lord Bacatan, the right hand man of Narnia." Ten goblets were raised, drank, and set down.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

The next morning, Peter sat in the council room with Lord Rahashan. There was something he needed to say, and he believed that the wisest thing to do was to bring it before their leader.

"Lord Rahashan, a certain issue has come into my mind which we must settle before any other talks of peace are made."

"And what sort of issue would that be King Peter?" Rahashan asked coolly.

Peter took in a deep breath, and began.

"Sir, our two nations cannot have peace if our beliefs differ so greatly," Peter said. "You worship Tash, but our loyalty is with Aslan. I know for a fact sir, that none of my family, or I, or perhaps anyone else in Narnia will turn to Tash, so I am asking you to give your love to Aslan."

Lord Rahashan's eyes widened.

"King Peter, you ask me to go against everything that I have ever believed in. To go against Tash is to go against Calormene."

"I know Lord Rahashan, but I am not asking you to accept it yet. Take some time, talk to your men, and maybe if you meet Aslan, your mind will change."

**Two Hours Later**

"Miranda, what do you think?" Peter asked her in the council room.

"I'm thinking that you have taken the right step, but that I am not sure how the Calormenes will take it."

Peter sighed, closed his eyes, and ran his hand through his blonde hair.

"I have come this far. I won't stop now, not after what I said."

Miranda was silent for a moment, then said;

"I believe that I owe you an apology Peter."

Peter looked at her, puzzled.

"I should have told you sooner. I should not have waited so long, no matter what you would say."

"Miranda, it's not …" but Miranda cut him off.

"I know. But I still should have told you sooner."

Peter smiled, knowing that Miranda would not let this issue slide off.

"Alright Miranda. Alright. Apology accepted."

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Bacatan stood by Rahashan, and leaned in close enough to whisper;

"Make it tomorrow."

Rahashan smiled. The high king's birthday.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Miranda, Miranda wake up."

Miranda sat up straight in bed, her dagger at hand.

"It is I Miranda. It is alright," a familiar voice said.

"Orieus!" Miranda exclaimed, "Don't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry Miranda, but there is a matter that needs your attention."

"Orieus, it's four in the morning! Aahh, never mind, talk to me," Miranda ordered, wide awake now.

"A rogue giant from the north has been spotted in the Western Wood. If it was any other situation, I would not have asked you to come."

As Orieus was speaking, Miranda had shot out of bed, and was grabbing clothes out of her trunk.

"Get as many of the strongest soldiers you have. Meet me outside in 15 minutes."

"15 minutes Miranda? Do you really need that long?" Orieus questioned. And Miranda knew why. Normally, she only needed 5 minutes.

"I have one extra thing that I need to do General."

Orieus nodded and left the room, and Miranda threw on her clothes. She took her weapons from the wall they were hanging on, and put them on. Then, taking a small box from the table by her bedside, she left the room.

She went through 3 passageways full of tapestries and torches, and entered a room with double doors. She smiled at the figure in the bed. The high king truly only looked peaceful when he was asleep. Going to the table beside his bed, she left a box and a note.

"Happy Birthday my king, my friend."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter woke up three hours later, and the first thought was;

"_By golly, it's my birthday!"_

He smiled as he threw the sheets off, and was just about to jump out, when he saw the note and box beside his bed. Curious, he opened up the note, and read;

_Dear Peter,_

_I'm sorry that I won't be there today for your birthday. Fights that could not be fought without me came up this morning. I just wanted to be the first one to say "Happy Birthday." Here is your present also. I shall see you later on today. Until that time, have a great day._

_Miranda_

Peter mentally kicked himself. That nagging feeling was because she had forgotten Miranda's birthday! How could he have forgotten it? He never forgot his family or closest friend's birthdays! And it was his and Miranda's tradition to be the first ones to say it.

His head shot up. He would find some way to make it up to her. Then he looked at the box in his hand. Deciding not to wait, he opened the box, and pulled out a silver band. He put it on his wrist, and admired the way it caught the light. As he looked closer, he saw that it was engraved with the word "Magnificent."

Smiling, he got up from his bed, and threw on some fresh silk clothing that was not too elaborate. He raced down the hall, and greeted his family in the dining hall. His favorite breakfast was on the table, and the hall was set in colors of red and gold.

After they had breakfast, his siblings bombarded him with their presents. From Edmund came a dagger, long and sharp. From Susan came a cape of deep purple, for special occasions. And from Lucy came a vial of her cordial, telling him that Father Christmas had given her a little extra.

Peter left the dining hall with his siblings, and for the rest of the morning they played Narnian games with the fauns, satyrs, and talking animals. Later on that day would come more celebrating, but Peter enjoyed the calmness of just being with his family.

After the noon meal, Peter started heading toward his room, to change into something a little more formal. But he was suddenly approached by Lord Rahashan.

"Sire, good day and best wishes for your birthday!" Lord Rahashan exclaimed.

"I thank you Lord Rahashan. Your best wishes are greatly accepted," Peter replied.

The two were silent for a moment, then Lord Rahashan said;

"Your majesty, if I might have a quiet word with you."

Peter was wary, but seeing no weapon on Lord Rahashan, went with him.

"I hope that you are not offended by my reaction's yesterday," he began.

"Of course not lord of Calormene."

"But I do wish you to know that it did not take me long to make a decision."

"Really?" Peter said, his heart slightly lifting.

"Yes high king, I have decided," he said, with a strange glint in his eye.

Peter suddenly felt very wary. He stopped, and looked around him. Something didn't feel right.

Suddenly, Calormenes sprung up from all around him. Peter quickly drew his sword, and just barely managed to stab at an armed Calormene.

He tried to shout for help, but three Calormen came on top of him, muffling his shout. They forced his hand to let go of his sword, but as he dropped one weapon, he drew out another. The dagger from Edmund killed two more, but their hands never left his mouth. They were finally able to force the dagger out of his hand as well. Then, Lord Rahashan stepped forward, and said;

"I decided to take over Narnia."

Peter, burning with anger, lunged at him. Suddenly, a Calormene hit him behind the neck, and everything went black.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"_Where could he be?"_

Edmund searched all around the castle, searching for his brother.

"Peter, if this is some kind of joke, it's not funny!"

But Peter never came out. Edmund went down the hall towards Peter's room, hoping to find him there. He looked to his right for a second, and then stopped. Turning around, he looked down the corridor he had just past, and saw a body. His heart in his throat, Edmund ran toward the end of the hall, and gasped.

Three Calormene lay dead on the ground. Looking around, he saw the sheath of Peter's sword lying on the ground. He took another quick look around, and saw a piece of paper put on one of the stone pillars, held by a dagger. As Edmund got closer, he realized it was the dagger that he had given Peter. Looking at the paper, he read;

_If you wish to see your brother alive, then you will do this. You will give me the hand in marriage of Queen Susan the Gentle, and the rule over all of Narnia. If your answer should be no, then your brother dies. Send the answer by way of an eagle. You have until midnight._

_Lord Rahashan_

Edmund's eyes widened, and he raced through the castle until he got to a beech tree in one of the gardens.

"Get word to the Warrior! Get word to her that the high king has been captured!"

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda stood by the side of the dead giant at dusk, a strange expression on her face. She gazed to the northern sky, and saw the clouds become dark.

"Oh, no," she whispered.

Running toward her horse Onyx, she yelled to Orieus;

"You are in charge! Make sure that the wounded are tended to!"

"But Miranda," Orieus shouted, racing towards her as she lifted herself onto Onyx, "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere where there is some trouble Orieus. Trouble that I hope is not the one I fear." Turning Onyx around, she raced through trees and rivers, heading towards the Dancing Lawn. No tree ever told her what had happened.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter could slowly feel himself going back into consciousness. He felt his hands tied behind his back to a tree, and he quickly realized that he was bound and gagged.

What a fool he had been! Why of all things did he not expect this? He was the one who normally saw through things like this. But there act had been too good. They had seemed so pure. But their hearts were like rotten apples.

Peter listened as Rahashan spoke with another Calormene.

"Do you think that she will give me her hand?"

If Peter could gasp, he would have. The she could only mean Susan.

"Not willingly Rahashan, but faced with the choice of that or the death of her brother, it will be more than likely that she will give her hand."

Peter pulled as hard as he could at his bonds, but the ropes were strong, and would not budge. Peter stopped pulling when he realized he was drawing blood. His head dropped in defeat. What could he do?

The answer was simple. He could do nothing.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda watched the band of Calormenes closely, then surveyed the spot that Peter was tied, right at the edge of where they had camped, his hands toward her. Smiling, she thought that it seemed almost too easy.

"Onyx, I need you to be ready for something…"

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter pulled on his bonds again. Nothing budged.

He started when he felt a pair of hands on his. A masked voice said;

"Do not be afraid my king. Help has come."

Peter relaxed as the bonds were cut, and he was guided slowly around the tree to a spot where they could not be seen.

Suddenly, a voice shouted;

"He's gone!"

"Okay, I wasn't expecting it to be that quick," Peter heard his rescuer say, recognizing the voice. It was Miranda!

But before he could do anything, he felt a horse in front of him, and a quick shove from behind him. He then heard her shout;

"Get him to Cair Paravel as fast as your legs can carry you," and Peter almost fell over as the horse beneath him bolted. Pulling off his gag, blindfold, and the remainder of the rope, Peter turned around to see nothing but trees. No Miranda, no Calormenes.

Peter pulled on Onyx's reins, and said;

"We have to go back! She will not survive with all of them on her!"

"Sir, she just gave me a direct order to get you back to safety," Onyx replied, pulling forward on the reins.

"Onyx, they won't spare her the way they spared me! Her life has no value to them!" Peter could feel a shudder go down Onyx's spine.

"Your majesty, if I might point out that we are only two against possibly twenty, and you have no sword."

"That can easily be fixed," Peter replied, whispering to a tree.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda took out her bow and three arrows. Aiming carefully, she shot, and three of the Calormenes fell dead. Drawing her sword and dagger, she went head to head with another Calormene. Within moments, he too was dead.

Miranda felt a sudden pain in her shoulder, and turned her gaze to see an arrow puncturing her skin. Pulling it out, she stood up to continue fighting, but a rope was suddenly thrown on her neck, and she was pulled down. Four other ropes were put on her arms and legs to keep her from moving.

"It is that warrior!" she heard Lord Rahashan scream angrily.

"Yes, it would seem so," the scarred Calormene said, his voice harsh and cold. A voice Miranda recognized.

"Why do I know you?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Perhaps it is because it was you that gave me this," he said, pointing to his scar.

Miranda vaguely remembered a battle, two years ago, against a man called;

"Bacatan," she whispered.

"Yes," he jeered, "You spared my life, but it humiliated me.

Bacatan looked over to Rahashan and said;

"We do not have much time. We must leave this land as soon as we can. But I do not suggest that we leave this one alive," Bacatan said, gesturing towards Miranda.

"I agree," Rahashan replied, the anger evident in his voice. "But I do not wish her to just be killed. Make her suffer!"

"With pleasure."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter listened to the trees as they shook and whispered.

"Do you think any will answer the call," Onyx asked.

Just as the words exited his mouth, five centaurs, headed by Orieus, burst through the forest.

"We have come at your bidding my king. Where is the warrior?"

"At the Dancing Lawn. Now, let's go."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"AAAHH," Miranda screamed as the whip lashed her back again. Her back was torn up from the endless lashings, and she could feel the blood trickle down. Her hands were tied with a long rope that one Calormene pulled, while another pulled her tied legs.

"Scream Louder!" Bacatan shouted.

The whip cracked again, and another mark was made on her back.

"AAH," she screamed.

"I want to see her die," Rahashan shouted.

"Sire," a Calormene shouted, "I hear something!" But no one listened.

Miranda braced herself for another lash, but the whip stopped in midair. Her eyes glanced up, and she saw a figure she knew all too well.

"Orieus," she whispered hoarsely. The centaur had taken a hold of the whip, and was quickly wrapping it around his arm, pulling it away from Bacatan.

"Release the Warrior!" a familiar voice ordered. Miranda turned her head to see King Peter on Onyx, his eyes cold as steel.

"Why should we?" Rahashan questioned. "Her life is in our hands."

"Harm her anymore, and your lives will not be spared," Peter replied.

Miranda suddenly felt her head being pulled back, and a knife pushed close to her throat.

"Come any closer, and your warrior dies!" Bacatan's voice shouted.

Suddenly, a flash of red flew past 4 Calormene, and jumped onto Bacatan's face, pushing him back. He released his hold on Miranda and uttered a shout. Turning her body, she saw another familiar face.

"Hunta, glad you could join us," Onyx neighed.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," Hunta replied.

"Now, release the warrior and leave Narnia forever," Peter ordered, his voice becoming colder by the second.

"Not for the world high king!" Rahashan screamed, and the Calormene attacked, waving large scimitars.

The Narnians pulled out their own weapons, and he battle began.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter retrieved his sword that the Calormenes had taken, and began slamming it down on them, and Onyx pushed and kicked his way through the battle, trying to get close to Miranda.

"Come on, come on," Peter urged.

Onyx finally managed to get through, stopping a few feet away from Miranda. But just as Peter dismounted Onyx, Bacatan got in his way.

"You will not help her. Not if I have anything to say about it," he growled.

"And if I have anything to say, it is that you will do her no more harm."

Peter raised his sword high, and Bacatan blocked. And a duel began. Bacatan swung for his middle, but Peter easily blocked it. Then he swung high, but Peter ducked. Bacatan then tried lower, aiming for his legs, but Peter jumped just in time.

"No more games," he growled, and he began a series of wild attacks that Peter could just barely keep at bay.

"Let me help you," a sarcastic voice said, and Bacatan suddenly fell over. Peter looked to see that Miranda had managed to free her legs, and kick Bacatan's feet from under him. He quickly took his sword and brought it to Bacatan's throat.

"No more will you harm Narnia or its people. You will wait in the cells at the fort near the Ford at Beruna, and await the sentence that Aslan will give to you. Now get up."

Bacatan slowly stood up, and a centaur took his hands and tied them.

"Sire," Orieus called out. Peter turned to address him. "We killed 10 of the Calormene, and 8 are now prisoner."

"Very good Orieus. Now, you centaurs, get these men to the fort near the Ford at Beruna. Aslan alone will decide their fate."

"Yes your highness," the five centaurs said in chorus.

As the centaurs left with the prisoners, Peter, Orieus, Hunta, and Onyx surrounded a very still figure.

"Is she still alive," Onyx whispered.

Hunta came up close, and nuzzled his nose close to Miranda.

"She still breathes. She has become unconscious from the pain," Hunta replied.

"Moving her would not be wise," Orieus said. "She is bleeding badly."

"Wait a moment!" Peter exclaimed, then pulled a small vial from his belt. He opened the top, and poured a single drop on Miranda's torn back. Before their eyes, the bleeding stopped, and the skin began to heal, revealing places where there would be scars.

Miranda's breathing became faster, and her eyes shot open in fear. She bolted up, but Peter's hands stopped her from moving too fast.

"Easy Miranda. You are still healing."

Miranda's eyes shot at him, then they looked at Onyx.

"I thought that I said to get him to Cair Paravel!"

"Yes you did, but his orders were to attack the Calormene and rescue you," Onyx calmly replied.

Miranda looked at the close circle around her. A king, a centaur general, a talking horse, and a talking fox captain.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you all. You saved my life."

"No problem warrior. You would have done nothing less for any of us," Peter replied. "Now, let's get back to Cair Paravel. We have some celebrating to do."

"Yes we do," said Orieus. "A rescue, and two birthdays."

"Two?" Miranda questioned.

"Oh, yes," Peter laughed. "We forgot yours, so now we just have to celebrate both of ours on the same day. I hope you don't mind."

Miranda threw back her head and laughed.

"After tonight, that sounds perfect."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Okay, this is the end of chapter four. So sorry about the length. I was not counting it to be that long. In future fanfics, no chapters will be this long! NONE!!!**


	5. Twelve Years Later

**Twelve Years Later**

"Miranda," a voice shouted through the main hall, and a young man stepped out of the shadows.

"Where is that girl?" he muttered to himself.

The golden haired man raced down to the throne room, still searching.

"For goodness sakes, where is she?"

He looked in her room, in the gardens, and finally headed toward the library.

He burst through the doors, and found who he was looking for. Miranda sat in a chair, sleeping. Her hair was in a long braid that reached down to the bottom of her back, and her sword rested on her lap as her head rolled to the side. Smiling, the young man came forward and shook her slightly.

"What have I told you about waking me up Peter?" she murmured sleepily, opening her eyes.

"To not to," Peter replied, his smile glistening under his beard.

"Oh, what is it?" she yawned.

"Word has been sent that the White Stag has been seen near the Western Wood, heading towards Lantern Waste. My brother, sisters, and I are going to try and hunt it down. Edmund wondered if you would care to join us."

Miranda smiled sleepily, and said;

"Peter, as much as I would like to, I doubt that I would stay awake. Orieus awoke me at midnight to hunt something else down. You go with your siblings, and just stay out of trouble."

Peter laughed and ran out the door, shouting;

"Don't worry; we'll stay out of trouble."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Quickly!" Miranda heard the words shouted from the courtyard. "Gather together searching parties and look in all directions! The kings and queens are missing!"

Miranda raced to the courtyard. Centaurs, fauns, and satyrs were racing everywhere.

"What happened?" Miranda shouted.

"Their highnesses are missing!" Orieus replied. "The horses say that they went into a deeper part of the forest and never came out."

"That is strange," Miranda said to herself. Racing to the stables, her mind went a thousand different directions. The horn had never been sounded, the weather had remained the same; What was going on?

Miranda did not need an answer to that one.

Arriving at the stables, she headed for Onyx's stall. His coal black head peered out, and Miranda saw a spark go through him.

"Oh, am I to join in the search?" he asked excitedly.

"No Onyx. Neither of us is going," she said sadly. "I need you to take me to the Stone Table."

Miranda could feel Onyx tense.

"What is wrong warrior?"

"I'll tell you when we are out of the castle."

Miranda led Onyx out, taking neither bridle nor saddle. She mounted her steed, and Onyx raced as fast as he could out of Cair Paravel. Racing towards the Stone Table.

"Now," Onyx said, slowing down enough to talk, "What is wrong?"

"There is no need to search for the kings and queens Onyx. I know where they are."

"Well then, by all means," Onyx said, turning around, "We must tell the others."

"No Onyx," Miranda sighed, turning him around, "It is not the kind of news that would make one glad. Aslan has sent them back to our world."

Onyx neighed nervously.

"How do you know?!" he demanded.

"Because there was no sign of their disappearance. The sky is clear, the sun shines bright, the sea is still, and the woods are silent. Aslan once told me that this day would come. I had just hoped that it would not be as soon as this."

"But why are we going to the Stone Table?" Onyx questioned, but he already had a feeling that he would know the answer.

"Aslan will send me back too Onyx. My time here is up."

As they were talking, they noticed suddenly that they were at the steps that led to the Stone Table.

"Onyx."

"Yes Miranda."

"Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Tell Hunta and Orieus. Tell them thank you. Tell them they were the best of friends a person could have."

"That warrior, I can do."

Miranda dismounted her horse one last time, and Onyx pushed his face to her chest.

"I don't want to say good-bye," he whispered.

"Onyx, never was there a horse better than you. Serve Narnia well, and may you be blessed."

Onyx raised his face to look her in the eye.

"Never before and never again will there be a warrior like you Miranda. Thank you for choosing me as your steed, and letting me fight your battles with you."

"And thank you for bearing me. For always being there to carry me on. I could not have chosen better."

Onyx backed away from Miranda's chest, and she took her arms off of his neck.

"Then farewell, warrior." And with that, Onyx turned around, and ran back to Cair Paravel. Miranda heard from the distance, a lone, high neigh.

"Farewell most noble steed."

Then, Miranda turned, and raced up the stairs to the Stone Table.

As she reached the top, a figure as golden as the sun appeared before her.

"Aslan!" she shouted. Running towards him, she threw her arms around his neck, and buried her face in his golden mane. She could hear him purring, and felt his warm tongue kiss her cheek.

"It is alright to cry young one. It is alright to cry."

"I am not crying because I must leave Narnia. It is leaving you. I can bear without Narnia, but not you," she sobbed.

"Hush dear one," Aslan purred, "I have a name in your world as well, and you must come to know me through that name." Gently, but firmly, he pulled himself from Miranda's arms.

"It is time to go now," he whispered. "Give me your sword warrior."

Miranda took the beautiful sword from its sheath, and held it before Aslan.

"Push it to the ground," he ordered.

Miranda pointed the blade to the earth as Aslan said. Suddenly, a vine sprung up, and curved itself around the sword, holding it in place.

"Only a true warrior of Narnia will ever put hands on this sword," Aslan whispered. Then, his golden eyes looking to Miranda, he said;

"Good-bye my dear child." He opened his mouth and breathed on her.

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Miranda sat straight up in her bed. Wait a minute, her bed?!

Yes, Miranda was back home, in her room, on her bed. She ran down the hall to the bathroom, and saw a 14 year old girl with pale skin and thin hair looking back. Gone was the 29 year old woman that had rescued Narnia, with thick long hair and dark skin. It was all gone.

Miranda went back to her room and sat on her bed. What had it gotten her? What had it all been for? Then she saw the bible on her nightstand again. Curious now, she turned the pages, and stopped at a verse;

_For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16_

Miranda's head suddenly went reeling. Wasn't that what Aslan had done for Edmund? Died in his place so that he could live? And Aslan's father, the Emperor beyond the Sea, hadn't stopped it. He could have, but he didn't.

Miranda raced to the small kitchen, picked up the phone, and dialed a number.

"Hello," a voice said at the other end.

"Pastor Richard, this is Miranda."

"Oh. Hi Miranda. Is everything alright?"

"Actually I have a few questions if it's okay."

She asked about the verse. She asked about Jesus. She asked about sin and the cross. And every answer that he gave cleared her eyes.

"_This is it," _shethought_, "This is his name!"_

"Miranda?"

"Yes, Pastor Richard."

"Do you want to pray?"

Miranda took no time to answer.

"Yes, yes I do."

"Alright then."

And she prayed.

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**Okay. Here you go. And unless you are completely crazy, you know what she prayed. Miranda has accepted Aslan's name in our world.**


	6. The Day After The Year Later

**Disclaimer; I only own Miranda and Lynn. The rest is all C.S. Lewis's**

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**The Day After. The Year Later.**

Lynn Kellen arrived home the next morning, a small box in her pocket. She walked in the door, and put her purse on the kitchen counter.

At about that time, she saw a figure sitting on the living room couch. Warily, she stepped forward, but relaxed as she saw that it was her daughter. Sitting on her lap was an open Bible.

"Miranda, what are you doing up this early," Lynn said, glancing at the clock. The clock read 5 o'clock.

"I've actually been up all night mom," Miranda said, then looked up at her. Lynn had to keep herself from gasping. Miranda physically had not changed, but her eyes were much older than Lynn remembered.

"Miranda, do you have something to tell me?" Lynn asked.

"Yes mom," Miranda stopped and took a deep breath. "I talked with Pastor Richard last night, and I have accepted Christ.

"Oh, honey," Lynn cried, her eyes brimming with tears. She raced over to her daughter and wrapped her in her arms. "You have no idea how long your father and I prayed for this day."

Lynn felt the box in her pocket as she held her daughter close, but did not bother with it. It would wait until another time.

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**One Year later**

"_You have your orders General," she heard the dark man say._

"_Yes Lord Miraz," the General said._

_She saw the General gather some men, and walk towards a room. They opened the door, and she saw a room with dark furniture and silk draperies. A falcon on a perch moved slightly as it watched the intruders enter the room. The group of men surrounded a bed in the middle of the room, the curtains drawn._

_A great sense of dread suddenly filled her. The men shot darts from their cross bows, and the curtains were torn. She heard a slight cry out, and saw a small trickle of blood._

"_No!" _

Miranda bolted up, her face dripping with cold sweat. That dream; why would it not stop coming? For a week now she had dreamt that same dream, over and over again, always waking up with a sense of darkness.

"What is going on?" she asked herself.

She laid her head back on the pillow, trying hard to go back to sleep. But sleep refused to come. After much tossing and turning, Miranda finally got up from her bed, threw on some clothes, and left her room.

She found her mother in the living room, looking over stacks of paper.

"Miranda!" her mother exclaimed, "What are you doing up? It's one in the morning!"

"I know mom. I know. I just had a dream, and I can't go back to sleep. Do you mind if I go outside for a few minutes?"

Her mother looked at her with a suspicious look.

"It's not a boy mom, I promise. I only want to walk to the park. I just need some fresh air or something."

"Alright Miranda, just don't stay out too long. You know what the doctor said."

"Yes mom," Miranda sighed.

She opened the front door, and breathed in the fresh night air. It felt good to be outside. Something about it made her feel free once more, free to be herself. She walked across the street and into a small gated park. If it hadn't been right across the street, and a policeman wasn't always there, her mother would not have allowed her unsupervised.

Once she entered the gate, she began to run. Running made her feel strong again. She ran through grass, trees, and flowers. She ran until her sides ached. She could feel her heart pumping too fast, and she stopped, breathing slowly. Even then, she felt a slight pain in her chest, and knew that her heart had skipped another beat.

As she stood there, catching her breath, her thoughts were going everywhere. She recognized the feel and look of the place she was at in her dreams. She knew that it was Narnia. But what was going on? Who was the person in the bed that this Lord Miraz wanted to kill so badly?

When she had caught her breath, she noticed that she was in the very center of the park, where a lion statue stood. Miranda stared at the stone lion, proud and bold it stood. But as Miranda kept staring, the lion started changing. The proud face was replaced with a soft gentle one, full of kindness and understanding. The lion grew bigger, and the stone disappeared, to reveal a golden sheen. The eyes lost their glazy look, and put in their place were golden brown eyes, full of wisdom.

"Aslan?" Miranda whispered.

"Narnia needs you once more my child," he purred. "A king of Narnia will be crowned, and a nation will be defeated." After he spoke the words, he opened his mouth and breathed on her. Miranda suddenly could no longer see the great lion as a huge whirlwind seemed to surround her. Miranda closed her eyes and curled in a ball as the wind whipped against her.

Finally, the wind stopped, and Miranda opened her eyes. What she saw made her eyes widen with delight and joy. She was standing on the edge of a beach, looking up to what looked like old ruins. For a moment, she thought that it couldn't be what she thought it was, because there were no ruins. But as she walked around, she saw the place where the thrones once stood. She saw the angle of the great hall as it looked overseeing the sea. Seeing more and more things that looked familiar, she dared to whisper the name.

"Narnia."

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**Okay, how did you like the reintroduction to Narnia?**


	7. A Prince and A Warrior

**Disclaimer; I only own Miranda.**

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**A Prince and a Warrior**

Miranda looked over the ruins of the place she once called home. How much time had gone by for it to have become this?

"Too much time," she said aloud.

Miranda noticed as she walked around the ruins that there were signs of an attack. Small boulders that weren't from the castle stood around, as if catapults had launched them. Vines crawled up the walls, indicating that it was more than a hundred years; perhaps a few hundred after the attack. But who had attacked? And where were the Narnians now? Question after question piled up in her mind.

"Okay," she said to herself," the first thing to do would to be to get a weapon of some sort."

But before she could do anything else, she noticed a carving in the stone wall. A carving of her sword! Memories filling her, she walked to the wall, and stroked her hand on the sword that she had held for so many battles.

But wait a second! As Miranda brushed her hand on the wall, she could hear a small echo from the other side. Putting her ear to the wall, she knocked with her knuckles, and the echo came back louder. Miranda scanned the wall, and noticed that it wasn't a wall. It was more like a protruding door. Excited now, she went over to the side of the door, and pushed with all her might. Slowly at first, then steadily, the door opened, revealing a small room.

Miranda gasped. A statue made of marble stone looked back at her, and Miranda recognized the 29 year old version of herself, tall and strong. Right in front of the statue was a wooden trunk. Curious, Miranda opened the trunk, and found things that took her back in time. She pulled out her old bow and quiver of arrows, surprised that they should still be usable. Under that was her belt that held her knife and sword. The knife was still there, but the sheath for her sword was empty.

"_Not_ _for_ _long_," she thought.

Underneath the belt were clothes that she was more used to.

"Finally, I can get out of these stupid skirts."

Finding a secluded area, she put on a dark blue shirt underneath a black leather jerkin, and dark brown pants and black boots. Putting her old clothes back on made her feel like the warrior she was. As she put her clothes on, she noticed that her skin had grown darker, and her muscles stronger.

Putting her weapons on, and pulling her hair back from her face, she began walking towards the place where the Stone Table was with a determined expression on her face. It was high time that she got her sword.

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Cornelius watched the Lady Prunaprismia carefully. Her belly was big and round from the baby she carried, and he noticed that she looked more alert than usual. It would happen soon, and he needed to be prepared for it.

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Miranda walked on and on. Nothing looked familiar. And now she was getting worried. Never had she been lost in Narnia, but now, she didn't know where she was.

"Aslan," she whispered, "I know that you see me. I understand that you know how desperate I am. Please show me the way. Help me out of this puzzle of confusion, and lead me down the narrow road."

As soon as she whispered those words, a peace came upon her, and she turned to the left. She walked for some time before coming into a clearing. It was very small clearing, about half of a mile long. Trees surrounded the clearing in a small circle, and straight in front of her was a huge mound of earth.

"_It's_ _not_ _a mountain_," she thought, "_More_ _like_ _a small fortress."_

She decided to get a better look, but as she came closer, she saw something familiar in front of the fortress. The pillars were broken, and vines had crawled upon it, but Miranda recognized the resting place of the Stone Table.

Excitement in her steps, she raced toward the ruins. But as she reached them, she noticed that the Stone Table was gone.

"Where is it?" she said aloud. The Stone Table was gone!

"I wonder where it could be," she whispered. But then, her gaze rested upon something else familiar.

She saw the red ruby. She saw the silver and gold hilt. She could still see the blade forced into the ground, still held by the thick vine. Coming up close, she put her hands around the hilt. Slowly, the vine slipped away from the sword, and she raised it high.

"Aslan!" she shouted, "Blessed be thy name." Her call echoed through the clearing.

**A few hours later**

The sun began to sink behind the mountains as Miranda walked further on. But the further she walked, the more uneasy she became. Something wasn't right. She had that sense of dread, like she did when;

"It happens tonight," she said aloud. Whatever it was in her dreams would happen that night! Something within her, something strong, told her that she needed to do something. But Miranda didn't know where to go or what to do; she didn't even really know what was going on. Not knowing anything else to do, she went down on her knees.

"Aslan, only you know what will happen tonight. You have given me the sight to see what will occur tonight. But I can't do this alone. I don't know where to go or what's going on. Help me Aslan."

The sun sank behind the mountains, and as Miranda stepped up, she could hear an eagle's cry. Smiling, she waited.

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Cornelius read through his charts. Yes, it would happen this night. Two stars would come so close together that it would look as if they were touching.

With a smile on his face, he looked at the time. It was almost midnight. Yes, it would be soon.

He got up from his table and began to walk towards the bookcase. Just as he reached for an astronomy book, he heard a crash of breaking glass, and turned around to see an arrow stuck on his desk, a white piece of cloth on it.

Quickly, he yanked the arrow out and looked at the white cloth. Was that blood stained on it? Upon a closer look, he saw that it was berry juice, and relaxed a moment. But he nearly panicked when he read a single word stained on it; _Tonight._

As fast as he could, he put on a black cloak and left his room and into the hall. Torches lit the bare walls of the hallway, and he could hear screams and shouts from Lord Miraz's rooms. Prunaprismia was having her child!

Swifter now, he raced down the hallways, but stopped when he heard voices.

"Lord Miraz, you have a son," the doctor heard the voice of General Glozelle.

Cornelius heard Miraz sigh in relief, but then he heard the terrible words;

"You have your orders General."

"Yes my Lord," Glozelle said, but Cornelius could hear hesitance in his voice.

He waited until he saw the General pass his hallway, and immediately rushed to a room at the end of the hall.

The room was dark, with elaborate furniture and silk curtains. A perched hawk raised its head as the doctor came up to a bed. He pulled a curtain back, and looked upon a young man fast asleep. Dark, wavy brown hair fell over the angled face of this 17 year old person.

Not wanting to wake him up with any noise, Cornelius put his hand on his mouth. The young man woke up quickly, dark brown eyes speaking alarm. But just as quickly, he relaxed, and pulled the hand away from his mouth.

"Five more minutes," he murmured sleepily.

"There will be no star-gazing for you tonight my prince. Your uncle has had a son."

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Prince Caspian was suddenly wide awake, and watched as his tutor opened his wardrobe. The professor climbed in and pushed on the back of the wardrobe, revealing a secret passageway.

"_I wonder how long that has been there," _Caspian thought.

"We must hurry," the professor said.

Suddenly, the door to Caspian's room shook. Caspian scrambled in after his tutor, but left the wardrobe door slightly open, peeking in with one eye.

The door burst open, and Caspian saw General Glozelle step in with his men. Crossbows in their hands, they aimed at the bed and shot. Caspian watched as they hit the place where he had been sleeping just moments before. Horrified, he hurried after his tutor.

"Quickly," the professor whispered anxiously. Caspian followed as swiftly as the steep steps allowed him. They ended up in the stables.

"_How convenient,"_ Caspian thought ironically.

But, knowing that time was short, he immediately went to get things that he needed. He took a sword from the armory, and his tutor gaze him a leather blue jerkin and black boots. Caspian saddled his horse, and his professor put a cloak over his back.

Caspian mounted his horse, and looked down at his professor.

"You must make for the woods."

"The woods?"

"They will not follow you there," the professor said. He then pulled a small bundle out from a pocket and handed it to Caspian.

"It took me many years to find this," the professor whispered as Caspian took it, placing it on the inside of his belt.

"Do not use it," he said anxiously, "Until your need is greatest."

Caspian nodded, then said rather shakily;

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I hope so my prince. There was so much more I meant to tell you," his tutor said. "Everything you know is about to change."

Suddenly, there were shouts heard from outside. Caspian could feel his horse, Destrier, pulling to go.

"Now go!"

And Caspian rode out of the castle, rode out to the gate, and onto the bridge before hearing;

"_A son! Lord Miraz has had a son!"_

He saw fireworks light in the sky, and quickly urged his horse on, knowing that men out to kill him were right behind him.

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"Thank you good griffin," Miranda said to the great winged creature as he sailed down to the grassy floor.

"The pleasure was mine to help a follower of Aslan," the griffin replied. "I will see you again when it is time."

"Then may Aslan be with you," Miranda exclaimed as she scrambled off the griffin.

"And you," he replied before sailing into the sky.

Miranda looked up to the sky.

"Thank you Aslan," she whispered. But just as the words were uttered, she heard a sound that she hadn't heard in over a year. Queen Susan's horn!

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Cornelius studied the arrow that had warned him. As he took a closer look, he discovered that the arrow was not of Telmarine make. On closer observation, he saw strange markings on the feathers.

Taking out a history book of Narnia, he began to look for the origin of the arrow.

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**So, how did you like it? I had to look up at a Narnia website to figure out Prunaprismia's name.**


	8. Two Kings and Two Queens

**Two Kings and Two Queens**

Peter sat on a bench with his three other siblings, feeling sore and bruised. They were waiting at a train station for the train that would take them back to boarding school.

"You're welcome," his brother said.

"I had it sorted," Peter huffed, getting up from the bench.

"What was it this time?" Susan asked.

"He bumped me," Peter replied.

"So you hit him?" Lucy asked with wide eyes.

"No, after he bumped me he tried to make me apologize. That's when I hit him."

"Really, is it that hard to just walk away?" Susan sighed.

"I shouldn't have to! I mean, don't you ever get tired of being treated like a kid?" Peter asked, frustrated.

"We are kids," Edmund pointed out.

Peter looked down on his brother, and said the words that had been on his mind for the last year.

"Well I wasn't always." He could sense his siblings share the same feeling he had. "It's been a year now."

"I think that we should just face it. He's not going to call us back," Susan said. Peter saw Lucy look at her with hurt in her eyes. How could she say that?

"Uh, Oh," Susan said suddenly, and turned her body towards her siblings. "Pretend that you are talking to me."

"We are talking to you," Edmund replied, getting himself a glare from his sister.

"Ow," Lucy cried out, jumping up from her seat.

"Stop it Lucy," Susan said sternly, but then Edmund jumped up. Pretty soon, all four siblings felt as if something was pulling them.

"It feels like magic," Lucy shouted.

"Hold hands," Susan cried. Peter grabbed her hand, and then reached his hand out for his brother's.

"I'm not holding your hand," Edmund whined at Peter.

"Just do it," Peter ordered.

Suddenly, the train station disappeared. The bricks and tracks melted away, replaced by rocks and sand. Peter's heart caught in his throat. They were back!

Peter watched Susan and Lucy give each other a look, and race down the beach, throwing off their jackets. Peter and Edmund followed close behind. Soon, all four were in the ocean, splashing each other and laughing with joy. But Peter noticed that Edmund had a peculiar expression on his face.

"What is it Ed?"

"Where do you suppose we are?" his brother replied.

"Where do you think?" Peter asked, surprised that his brother would think anywhere else.

"Well, I don't remember any ruins in Narnia."

Peter followed his brother's gaze. Sure enough, there were ruins that he didn't recognize.

The four siblings looked at each other curiously. Where were they then?

Peter led his brother and sisters up a steep path towards the ruins. As they reached the top, they realized that they were completely surrounded by water. They were on an island!

The four of them set off in different directions, looking and admiring the place they had discovered.

"I wonder who lived here," Lucy commented.

"I think we did," Susan replied. Peter looked at his sister questioningly, but noticed that she held something in her hand.

"That was part of my chess set," Edmund exclaimed.

"Which chess set?" Peter asked.

"Well I didn't exactly have a solid gold chess set in Finchley now did I," Edmund said sarcastically.

Peter looked at the golden knight piece, with a red ruby for an eye.

"It couldn't be," Lucy whispered. Peter looked over at his sister, and saw her gazing at the center of the ruins.

Lucy walked toward the center, the three siblings closely following.

"It is."

"What is it, Lucy?" Peter asked.

To answer him, she took a hold of his arm, and pulled him towards a small mound of rocks, turning him around.

"Imagine columns," she said, pulling her sister's arm, "And a glass roof." Taking Edmund's arm, she put him on the right side of Peter, then went to take a place to the left of Susan. Suddenly, they saw the place that it once was.

"Cair Paravel," Peter said hoarsely. It was Narnia! They were at Cair Paravel, their home! But still, a single question came to Peter, one that he did not say aloud. If they were in Narnia, and they were all together, then where was Miranda?

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Cornelius looked through another book, and still could not find the origin of the arrow. None of them seemed to have anything on the arrow. He put the book down, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. He had been up for hours trying to figure this out.

Suddenly, he heard noise in the courtyard, and raced to the broken window, putting the arrow in an inner pocket in his robes. Looking down, he saw the group of soldiers that had set out the night before chasing the prince. Destrier was with them, a small bundle on his back.

Cornelius's shoulders relaxed at the sight of no Caspian. But news traveled fast through the city, and he quickly found out that though they had not gotten the prince, they had got a dwarf. Curious about a Narnian, he went down to the prison cell.

He went down two stories of stairs, and entered a steel door. Then, a voice said;

"What do you want?"

Cornelius turned his head to see a soldier glaring at him.

"Is the Narnian prisoner down here? I wish to speak with him. I thought that I might take some notes."

The soldier rolled his eyes and muttered something about news traveling where it shouldn't and meddlesome old men. But he let Cornelius through, and he went down to the cells.

The dwarf sat on a small wooden bench, not talking or moving as Cornelius approached. As he came up to the bars, the dwarf dared to raise his eyes to look at him. A small smile came up on his face, and he whispered;

"Half dwarf."

Cornelius's eyes widened.

"How did you know?"

The dwarf allowed a small chuckle to escape him, and said;

"Just call it the ability to feel other dwarfs. Not to mention that you are shorter and fatter than any other man, even an old man."

"Well, you are right. I am half dwarf."

"I know that I am right. I wouldn't have said it if I was wrong."

Cornelius was silent for a moment, then asked;

"How did they find you? Why did they bring you here?"

"They are Telmarines. They do whatever they want. As for how they found me, I attacked them, trying to protect another."

Cornelius's head shot up.

"Who were you protecting?"

"Oh, I'm not sure. It was a tall young man, with dark brown hair. He had fallen off of his horse."

"That was Prince Caspian!" Cornelius all but shouted.

"The prince! Well, that makes things different."

"Yes it does," Cornelius agreed. The two were silent for a few moments, both of them soaking in this news.

"Is he safe?" Cornelius whispered.

"Yes. I left him with a friend. And I told him to take care of him. I just hope he knows which take care of him I mean. But if he doesn't, Trufflehunter will."

Cornelius did not ask who Trufflehunter was. He assumed it was another Narnian, and as long as Prince Caspian was with Narnians, he should be safe.

He suddenly felt a point to his side, and he looked into his robe. The arrow had gotten loose from its place, and had slightly pushed in his side enough for him to feel it. Taking the arrow out of his robe, he studied the feathers once more.

"Where did you get that?!" the dwarf suddenly exclaimed.

Cornelius nearly jumped out of his skin as the dwarf spoke.

"It would be a lie to say I found it. Let us just say that it found me."

"If I may?" the dwarf whispered. Cornelius handed the arrow to the dwarf, and could see tears spring up in his eyes.

"Ever since I found this, I have tried to find its origin. Do you know?"

"Do I? Every Narnian dwarf knows their origin. These arrows are not made anymore, but none were stronger or faster. This is an arrow used during the Golden Age. Used by the greatest and best of the Narnian soldiers and fighters. It was said that even the Warrior of Narnia used these arrows."

"Warrior of Narnia?" Cornelius asked, puzzled.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of the Warrior? He lived during the Golden Age of Narnia; he was Narnia's protector, and the bodyguard of the kings and queens of Cair Paravel. The day that they disappeared was the day he did. Never again has a Warrior set foot in our lands."

Suddenly, two soldiers barged into the dungeons, and the dwarf hastily gave Cornelius the arrow.

"Thank you," he whispered. And then, he was dragged away.

Cornelius looked down at the arrow in his hands. Now that he knew its origin, he wanted to know who the Warrior was. He raced up the stairs back into his rooms, and opened up a book. He was going to find out who this person was.

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"Catapults."

"What?"

"This didn't just happen. Cair Paravel was attacked."

Peter looked down at what his younger brother was looking at. He was right. Cair Paravel had been attacked. He glanced up, and saw something familiar.

"Edmund, come here." His brother followed him to a wall, and Peter felt his way to the end. Pushing with all of their might, the brothers slowly moved the wall away, to reveal a door on the other side. The wood was old and rotting, taking no time to knock it down. His brother and sisters watched as Peter then tore a part of his shirt off and wrapped it around a stick.

"I don't suppose you have any matches with you?" Peter asked his brother.

"No," Edmund answered, looking through his bag, "But would this help?" He pulled out his new torch.

"You might have mentioned that a bit sooner," Peter laughed.

Smiling, Edmund led the way through the tunnel. The four siblings held their breath as they walked down the flight of stairs. Looking below them, they saw things that looked familiar. Getting excited now, they raced down the rest of the stairs.

The first thing they saw was four marble statues standing behind four wooden trunks. Three siblings raced for the trunks, and began opening them like old friends.

"I was so tall," Lucy said almost wistfully, holding up a full length dress.

"Well, you were older then," Susan said.

"As opposed to hundreds of years later, when you're younger," Edmund commented, a huge helmet on his head.

Suddenly, Lucy said;

"What's wrong Susan?" They all looked at the eldest sister, and noticed a peculiar expression on her face.

"My horn! I must have left it on my saddle, the day we went back," she replied. Everyone was silent at the loss of such an important gift.

And then Peter looked up at his own statue. A tall young man with broad shoulders and a crown upon his head stared back at him. Now things would get back to normal!

He walked up to his own trunk and opened the lid. The very first thing he saw was his sword, Rhindon. Picking it up, he slowly unsheathed the sword. It shined in the light, and Peter felt himself go back years ago. Once again, he felt like the high king.

"When Aslan bares his teeth, winter meets its death."

"When he shakes his mane," Lucy whispered, "We will have spring again." Then, a horrible realization dawned on her. "Everyone we knew; Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers, they're all gone."

The others were silent as the words sunk in.

"I think it's time we found out what went on here," Peter said, a strength in his voice that his siblings recognized. They all nodded, and began rummaging through the trunks for clothes more their size.

As Peter dug through his trunk, his hand found a small leather pouch. Curious, he opened the pouch, and pulled out his birthday necklace from his 18th birthday. He smiled at the small replica of Rhindon, and slipped it on his neck, then felt something else in the pouch. He put his hand in, and pulled out something else. He gasped!

It was Miranda's necklace!

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Miranda sat in the forest, her back resting against a tree. She was exhausted. She had been running for she didn't know how long, trying to find the source of the horn's cry. And now, lack of sleep and food had finally caught up with her.

"Maybe just a few moments," she told herself, "Just a few minutes."

And, wearily, she closed her eyes. Within moments, her breathing became deep and slow. And she fell asleep.

She awoke what seemed like only seconds later. She could promise that she heard voices. Becoming really still, she listened, and then heard;

"I just think that it would be better if we waited for the kings and queens." The voice was soft and smooth, and Miranda knew immediately that it was a talking animal.

"Well I'm coming with you. I would love seeing you try to explain things to the minotaurs." Miranda recognized the gruff voice of a dwarf.

"Minotaurs? They're real?" Now Miranda didn't recognize the origin of this voice at all. The being who had said this had a heavy accent, and she had a feeling that it was human. But who it could be, she had no idea.

"And very bad tempered," the soft voice said.

"Not to mention big," the dwarf commented.

"Huge," the soft voice answered again, as if to completely make their point.

"What about centaurs? Do they exist?" the unfamiliar voice asked.

Now the travelers were within Miranda's eyesight, and she could clearly see them. The soft voice turned out to be a talking badger. Miranda smiled at a familiar sight. Her gaze then fell on a black dwarf. Again, a small smile crept up on her face. Then she looked at the strange one, and had to keep her voice muffled as she gasped.

The strange voice was indeed a human. A tall, dark haired young man with a sword at his side, and Miranda recognized that type of sword. The style was Telmarine; she could even see the emblem on the sheath.

"Well, the centaurs will be more likely to take your side," the badger said, answering the young man's question.

"What about Aslan?" Miranda's eyes widened as he said the words. How would he know about Aslan? Why would he want to know about Aslan? Telmarines never had cared for Aslan or the Narnians, and from the way things seemed now, they still didn't. Why did this one young man know or care to know about Aslan?

"How do you know so much about us?" the dwarf questioned suspiciously.

"Stories," the young man answered, as if it was the only answer.

"Your father told you stories about Narnia?" the badger asked.

"No, my professor," the young man answered. Then he began to say something else, but then, it seemed as if a great pain had taken him, and he said;

"Listen, I'm sorry. But these are not the sort of questions you should be asking." With that, the young man began walking forward again.

But the badger paused a moment, and sniffed the air.

"What is it?" the dwarf asked his companion.

"Human." Miranda pulled herself completely behind the tree, afraid that she had been discovered.

"Him?" she heard the dwarf ask.

"_Yes, the young man that has been with us this whole time. Yes, I couldn't figure out his scent until now," _Miranda thought, rolling her eyes. _"Of course it's not him."_

"No. Them!" the badger said, panicked. Miranda suddenly heard noises from another side of the forest. She turned her head, and saw a group of soldiers advancing fast.

"Run!" the young man shouted.

Miranda pulled out her bow and took out an arrow. Aiming carefully, she shot one arrow, then as fast as she could, took another out. Within seconds, that arrow was shot too. Miranda shot two more arrows before she looked behind her towards the badger, dwarf, and human. The badger was on the ground, wounded. He was handing something to the young man, and he took it, trying to quickly secure it in his belt. Miranda caught sight of what it was.

It was Susan's horn!

He was the one that had sounded it, crying for help! Without another thought, Miranda reached back for another arrow, and shot down another soldier. Then, suddenly, man by man fell down, and never came back up. Miranda's eyebrow knotted in confusion as she watched this strange sight. Finally, all of the men lay dead, and the grass suddenly seemed to be moving, right towards the young man.

A big ball of fur appeared out of nowhere, knocking the young man to the ground, disarming him. Miranda saw a mouse a foot tall. A smile creeping up on her lips, she slowly walked away. She knew that if this mouse didn't find out that he was a friend soon enough, that at least the badger would let him know.

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**Sniff, sniff**

That smell was unfamiliar to Trufflehunter. It wasn't a bad smell. Actually, it was kind of pleasant. But never before had this scent come to him. Following his nose, he came right up to one of the dead soldiers, and was surprised to see an arrow in him. Pulling it out, he took a good smell.

Yes. Whoever had shot this arrow was who he smelled.

"Nikabrik, I think that you should take a look at this."

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Peter looked behind him to make sure that his companions were keeping up. He saw his two sisters, his brother, and now a dwarf, following close behind him. Even though it had only been this morning, Peter smiled at how they had met the dwarf.

"_Drop him! Is that the best you could come up with?"_

"_A simple thank-you would suffice," Susan said._

"_They were doing a good job of killing me on their own!"_

"_Well maybe we should have let them," Peter said, angry at this welcome._

"_Why were they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy asked._

"_They're Telmarines. It's what they do."_

"_Telmarines? In Narnia?" Edmund exclaimed._

"_Where have you been the last few hundred years?"_

"_It's a bit of a long story," Lucy said._

Oh, yes. That had been a bit of an adventure. Trumpkin had by this time proven himself quite good and loyal, not to mention willing to do anything to free Narnia.

But now, it was getting late, and they decided it was time to rest for the night. Peter's gaze rested on his youngest sister, still not looking all too cheerful.

"_Do you really think that I don't know Aslan when I see him?"_

Yes, he admitted it, he had been wrong. They had even gone back when he realized his mistake. But there was no hiding the disappointment on Lucy's face. They hadn't believed her, and that was enough.

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Miranda's back rested on the grassy floor. Finally, she had found some water and a little bit of fruit to sustain her. And now, she was ready for some much needed rest. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep on the forest floor. And once more, the dream came.

But it didn't happen the way it did before.

She saw the arrows shot, but this time, there was no cry, and there was no blood. The next king of Narnia was safe.

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Cornelius bent over the book he was reading. After many long tedious hours, he had found a book that told of the Warrior. Cornelius was amazed as he read of the many deeds he had done, of the friendship he had with the high king, and of what he was willing to sacrifice for Narnia.

But a small paragraph had caught Cornelius's attention, and he read;

_After the Warrior has come once more,_

_And all things in Narnia are well,_

_The heart of the Warrior will become sore,_

_It shall become dead and still._

_Fear not young Warrior,_

_He waits for you,_

_Waiting with his arms open wide._

_Your heart once weak,_

_Now is strong,_

_And you shall stand by his side._

"What could it mean?" Cornelius asked himself. Would the Warrior truly die after it was all done? If not, what did the poem truly mean?

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**Sorry that it took me so long. And also sorry if the movie quotes are wrong. I have only seen the movie once, so don't get mad Please! Hope that you enjoyed it!**


	9. Rude Awakenings

Disclaimer: I only own Miranda.

Thank you to Kirsten Erin for your review. You are so cool!

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**Rude Awakenings**

Miranda woke up the next morning feeling thirsty and sore. Sitting up slowly, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and groaned;

"I need to get back into the swing of it. Everything hurts."

She slowly stood up and stretched. Every muscle and bone seemed to scream. Putting her weapons on, she went to get some water.

It didn't take her long. A small stream slowly flowed through the forest, and she bent down. Cupping her hands, she dipped them in and took a long drink. Then, after drinking her fill, she splashed some on her face and arms.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past her head.

Miranda turned her head to see a dozen soldiers racing toward her. Seeing more arrows being shot, she did the only thing she could do after being caught off guard.

She ran!

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**Snap**

Peter's eyes shot open as he heard the sound. Looking around quickly, he saw his youngest sister leaving the group. Silently, he wrapped his sword around his waist and followed.

He followed her through dense trees and thick bushes, trying to keep up. All of a sudden he heard growls not far off, and he turned his head to see a minotaur. His sister kept going.

"Aslan?" she said.

Thinking quickly, Peter put his hand over Lucy's mouth, muffling her sound. She looked up at him in fear, then relaxed as she recognized him. Peter motioned with his eyes for her to take a look. She turned her head, and saw the minotaur.

Peter put his finger up to his lips, and slowly advanced toward the minotaur. His mind thinking only of the grief they had given them, he drew his sword.

Suddenly, a sword crashed down upon his, and within seconds, Peter found himself fighting a dark haired young man. The two fought furiously, and both lost their swords. Peter scrambled for a rock and shot up, finding himself held in place by his own sword. The young man held it within a foot from his face, his eyes dark and serious.

"No!" he heard his sister shout as she emerged from the bushes. The young man looked curiously at her, but Peter noticed something else.

Within minutes, the forest had become crawling with centaurs, satyrs, fauns, dwarfs, minotaurs, and talking animals. The Narnians had finally emerged!

Peter looked at the strange person he had just met, and a single thought came to him.

"Prince Caspian?"

"Yes, and who are you?"

All of a sudden, a voice shouted;

"Peter!" And Susan, Edmund, and Trumpkin came rushing towards them.

Caspian looked at the sword in his hands, then up at Peter.

"You are them?"

"I believe you called," Peter replied.

"I… I thought you would be older."

Peter, now thoroughly annoyed, said;

"Well, if you like, we can come back in a few years."

"No," he quickly said," It's just, you are not quite what I expected." Prince Caspian's gaze crossed over the whole group, taking it all in.

"Neither are you," Edmund commented.

"Your majesty, long have we awaited your return," Peter heard a voice behind him say. He turned around, and saw a mouse with a feather over one ear, bowing to him.

Lucy leaned in towards her sister and whispered something, making the mouse draw his sword and shout. Peter didn't notice. His eyes were quickly glancing through the crowd of Narnians, and a look of worry had crossed his face.

Miranda wasn't here either!

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Miranda ran as fast as her legs could go. They were still crowding in on her. Still, they came closer and closer, not giving up their relentless chase. Miranda's legs were screaming with pain; never had she run so far for so long. And the fact that she didn't know where she was going didn't help matters.

"Aslan, I need help," she whispered.

As if all she needed to do was say the words, the men behind her slowed down. It was not enough for her to rest, but it was a start. Choosing between fighting or climbing, she scrambled up a tree, knowing that her tired body would not last long.

She had just gotten high enough so that they could just barely see her when they surrounded the tree. All of them took out crossbows and began to shoot. But because the branches were so close together, they couldn't get a clear shot of her.

Finally, Miranda breathed easily for a few moments. As she calmed down, she observed her choices. If she went down, they were more than likely to get her or kill her. That left going from tree to tree trying to lose them.

Taking a deep breath, she ran from her branch, and barely reached the branch of another tree. The men underneath jumped into action, and began to slowly follow her. Every so often, one of them would take a shot at her, but would miss.

Suddenly, one of the branches broke, and Miranda fell to the ground. Thinking fast, she twisted her body around, and hit two of the men. Picking herself up, she kicked the stomach of another, and he fell back, falling on another. Then, she turned and ran, zigzagging so that they wouldn't get a clear shot at her.

The men didn't take long to nearly catch up with her. But no one tried another shot at her.

Suddenly, Miranda found herself in the clearing near the Stone Table. With nowhere to hide, and a dozen soldiers close behind her, she took her bow and an arrow out of her quiver and shot.

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Peter stood in the room with the Stone Table with his siblings, Prince Caspian, and the chosen leaders of the Narnian army. Now it was time to make a plan, time for them to make was with Miraz.

But just as he was about to speak, a faun raced into the room, his face red and sweaty.

"What is it noble faun?" Edmund asked immediately.

"Sir, there is a commotion in the clearing! A dozen Telmarine soldiers! But why they are here is a complete mystery! You are needed immediately!"

Brothers and sisters looked at each other, and then, without another word, the four siblings followed the faun to a nearby opening. Prince Caspian, a centaur named Glenstorm, and a few other leaders followed. They all stood near the opening, watching a near dozen soldiers, seeming to crowd in on something.

Then Peter saw a figure flip over two men, a sword in its hand, and long hair flowing down its back.

He gasped!

Miranda turned around, and was met by the soldier's swords. Recovering quickly, she began to defend herself. But Peter could tell by the way she stood that she was tired.

He looked over to his brother. Edmund met his gaze.

"If we tell them to attack, they may attack her. They don't know her. They may think her as an enemy," Edmund said.

"Which is why I'm going to ask you to do this."

Edmund smiled at his brother.

"Did you have to ask?"

Peter smiled at his brother, and the two drew their swords. Eyes on Miranda, they began to advance.

"Your majesty, please," Glenstorm said behind them, "Let me send our own soldiers in. They will finish them off quickly."

"I'm sorry Glenstorm," Edmund said, turning his head, "But it would take too long to explain this."

"Besides," Peter added, "This is personal."

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Miranda knew that she wasn't going to last much longer. Lack of food and water was finally getting the best of her. She would put up a good fight, but it wouldn't be enough.

Suddenly, one of the soldiers hit her on the back, and she fell to the ground. Seeing stars, she tried to get back up to fight. But as she turned her head, she saw a sword inches away from her.

"You have been a huge pain in the neck," the soldier said.

But then, out of nowhere, another sword threw the sword the soldier held away from Miranda.

"No one hurts my best friend while I'm on guard!" a voice shouted. A familiar voice!

She heard a thump behind her, and turned her head, only to see a familiar face.

"Edmund!" Miranda exclaimed.

"You had better believe it," he said.

"Hey, a little help over here!" Miranda turned her head to see Peter fighting three soldiers. Picking herself up, she raced toward him, her sword raised high. She slammed it down on one of the soldiers, and the odds became two to three.

Miranda soon found herself with Peter on her right and Edmund on her left, like so many battles before. The three fighters quickly finished off what was left, and they just stood for a moment, trying to catch their breath.

"One question," Edmund panted, "Before anyone else says anything. Where have you been??!!"

Miranda laughed and pointed to the soldiers.

"I have been a little busy."

"Well that's okay then," Edmund said, giving Miranda a friendly hug.

Peter turned to Miranda. Her face was flushed and sweaty from the fight, she looked hungry and thirsty, and like she could fall flat on the ground from exhaustion. But a smile lit up on her face, and Peter knew that once again, Miranda the Courageous, the Warrior of Narnia, had come back home.

"Welcome back," he said, wrapping his arms around his best friend.

Miranda sighed and said;

"It feels good to be back Peter."

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**Okay, I need some advice. Do you think that I should change the rating from K+ to T? I just want to be safe about my rating. Please tell me if I should change it! Oh, by the way, I hope you liked the chapter.**


	10. A Plan?

**A Plan?**

Caspian couldn't believe what he was seeing. The two kings just rushed in there with no one to help them, and were winning! Then, out of nowhere, a third person started fighting by their side. As Caspian watched the battle, he realized that it was a girl! He was almost certain that his mind was playing tricks on him.

Within moments, the soldiers were all down on the ground, and three fighters stood together, panting. After a few minutes, Caspian saw first King Edmund, and then the High King embrace the girl. Then, the three walked towards the Howe.

As they came closer, Queen Susan spoke;

"Lucy, is that…"

"It is!!!" the younger queen shouted, and ran out of the Howe. Queen Susan raced after her.

Glenstorm looked down at Caspian, not quite sure what was going on. Caspian just shrugged his shoulders.

They watched as Queen Lucy ran into the girl so hard that she knocked her over. The two kings laughed as their younger sister hugged the girl on the ground. Laughing, the two got up and brushed themselves off. But it wasn't long before Queen Susan rushed over and wrapped her arms around the girl's neck. Now Caspian was really confused.

As the group of five stepped closer, Caspian could feel Glenstorm tense beside him. Suddenly, the centaur drew his sword, took three steps forward, and put his sword right in front of the girl's chest.

"Glenstorm," King Peter said sternly, "What is the meaning of this?"

"If your majesty has not yet noticed, she has the sword of the Warrior!" Caspian heard Narnians behind him gasp, and some began murmuring angrily.

"And do you know exactly why she has the sword of the Warrior?" Edmund asked slyly.

Glenstorm paused for only a second, then said;

"Sire, none could penetrate the vine that Aslan put around the sword! She may be a worker of dark magic!"

"And tell me my good centaur," the girl said, "If I were a worker of dark magic, as you say, then how could I still penetrate the vine? Aslan's power is far stronger than that." She spoke with an ease and grace that only people of court could know of.

Caspian looked at the faces of the kings and queens. King Peter stared coldly up at the centaur, with a gaze far older than he looked. King Edmund had become quiet and still, relaxed and cool. Queen Susan looked a bit frightened, but hid it well. And Queen Lucy; she was smiling from ear to ear. Caspian had a feeling that something was about to happen that no Narnian was expecting.

"Then who are you?" he decided to ask, knowing that the question would come up sooner or later.

The girl looked at him, and Caspian suddenly felt very young, for her eyes told him just how old she had once been.

"I am Miranda the Courageous, Warrior of Narnia!"

Caspian's eyes went wide, and the Narnians that had gathered around became quiet and still.

Miranda drew her sword and said;

"This is my sword, Alanosa! The sword that served Narnia, the kings and queens, and Aslan! This is the sword of the Warrior, and I am that Warrior!

"Impossible," Glenstorm whispered. "The Warrior was said to be strong and brave."

"And you think that just because I am a girl, that I am not strong and brave!"

"How could you be a Warrior? You are just a child!"

"And I was a younger child when Aslan chose me for this!" She turned and pointed towards the kings and queens. "The monarchs you see before you can all testify this."

Caspian looked up to the kings and queens, and said;

"This is true then? She is the Warrior of Narnia?"

"It is true," King Peter said.

"She fought by our side," Queen Susan said.

"Saved our lives," King Edmund added.

"Not to mention served Narnia with everything she had," Queen Lucy finished.

Glenstorm slowly put his sword away and looked down at the floor.

"Well then," Miranda said, "Now that we have that finished with, do you have anything to eat around here?"

The kings and queens began laughing, hard.

"Would you just so happen to be hungry Miranda?" Edmund asked with a wink.

"I have eaten hardly anything since getting back into Narnia. So, if you could please..."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda took another bite out of a piece of bread. My, it felt good to have some food on her stomach!

"Narnia's not going to run out of bread Miranda," Lucy joked.

Miranda smiled at the youngest queen, and then looked to the others around her. They sat in a small private room, sitting around a circular table. It felt good to be back with the family that she had come to miss so much.

"So how long have you been here?" Edmund asked

"I've been here since the afternoon before the horn was blown."

"Then you must have some general idea of what is going on here," Peter said, his voice sounding a lot older than he looked.

"I do not know much, but you are right. I do have some idea of why we are here." Miranda stopped for a moment, waiting for them to all listen.

"For one, we are not here to take back the life that we once had."

"What do you mean Miranda?" Susan exclaimed, a genuine look of confusion on her face.

"I mean, I don't believe that we are staying here long. Before I came here, I saw Aslan. He said that a new king would be crowned."

"A new king?" This time it was Peter that spoke.

"That would be Caspian!" Lucy exclaimed.

"The dark haired young man?" Miranda asked, making sure she had the right face with the right name.

"That's right," Edmund said.

"But why? Why bring us back just to do that? Could he not have others do that? Why would it have to be us?" Question after question spilled out of Peter.

"That, I am not sure of. But Aslan knows what he is doing. We just need to follow the path that he has set before us."

"That will not be easy," Susan said, "Miraz's army, weapons, and supplies outnumber ours by many."

"A grumpy centaur once told me, "Numbers do not win a battle,"" Peter said quietly.

"No," Miranda said, "But I bet they help."

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Caspian stood to the side of the Stone Table, staring at King Peter. Once again, they had all of the Narnian leaders around them, and the kings and queens. Caspian noticed that the Warrior sat at the very edge of the room close to the entry. She seemed slightly uncomfortable.

"Miraz's men could be here at any moment," the high king said.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" a Narnian voiced.

"We need to…"

"We must…"

Caspian and King Peter had begun talking at the same time. The high king looked over towards him, and Caspian took that as a hint to stand down.

"We need to strike them before they strike us. We need to attack them first."

"Impossible," Caspian argued, "No one has ever taken that castle."

"There is always a first time," King Peter said coolly.

"If we attack first, then we have the advantage of surprise," King Edmund stated.

"But if we dig from here, we'll be able to get under, and then attack," Queen Susan said.

"I for one, feel safer underground," a badger, Trufflehunter, said.

"Look," King Peter said, looking at Caspian, "I appreciate what you have done here. But this isn't a fortress. It's a tomb."

"All Miraz has to do is starve you out," King Edmund said again.

"We have no choice," King Peter stated.

"That is what bothers me." This time, it was Queen Lucy.

"What Lu?"

"Well, you seem to be coming up with only two decisions. Dying here, or dying there."

"Haven't you been listening…"

"No, you're not listening. Or are you forgetting who really defeated the White Witch."

Caspian was shocked at the young queen's words. But he was even more shocked at the high king's reaction. His face became pale and stern, and he said in an almost cold voice;

"I think that we have waited for Aslan long enough."

If there was anything Caspian was expecting, it wasn't that.

"You have been awfully quiet Miranda. What is your opinion on this?" King Edmund said suddenly. Caspian watched as the Warrior's head lifted and her back straightened. Her face had taken on a stern look, and Caspian wasn't sure what was coming next.

"My opinion is that your young sister is right sire." She turned to face the high king. "Never in all of our years in battle did we ever not first consult Aslan. Never have you forgotten him. This time you have left him out of the entire thing." She stopped for a moment before continuing. "Whatever decision you make, I will follow you into battle. I took an oath sire, and I will not break it." She stopped again, and pointed a finger towards King Peter. "But I do warn you. One mistake, one single mistake, and I will get as many Narnians out of there as I can, with or without your permission. And if I have to, I will drag you out with my bare hands. This I promised Aslan I would do, and his orders come before your's."

With that, the Warrior turned around and left the room.

King Peter turned to look towards the others.

"Your majesty," Glenstorm said, "Was that an open threat?"

"No," the king replied, "Call it a friendly warning."

Caspian had a feeling that the warning was slightly less than friendly.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Edmund turned into another corridor, trying to find the armory. Finally, he got directions from a dwarf, and headed down a flight of stairs.

As he reached the bottom, his heart made a huge leap. Silver armor, broad swords, knives, bows and arrows. It felt just like the older days. And putting on some sturdy leather armor in the middle of the room was Miranda.

"I had a feeling that I would find you here," he said.

"Yes, not much has changed," she replied. Her voice sounded sad and constrained.

"Miranda, it has been a hard year for him," Edmund sighed.

"He is not the only one that has had a hard year," Miranda retorted.

"Yes Miranda, but I think worse for him because he was the High King."

"He still is the High King Ed! For a year he has been at the very least able to act somewhat like he did in Narnia! I have not had that chance! How many girls do you know go around with a sword at her side?"

"What do you mean Miranda?"

"I mean that he can at least act himself around you all. At least he can act like he is the magnificent. I have had no one Ed. I could never tell my mother about it, she would think that I had gone insane. And I can't be strong there because my body is weak." Her voice had become strained, and her eyes had tears. "And how can I be courageous when there is nothing to be courageous for?"

Edmund looked at the Warrior and friend that he had known for so long. She had changed so much since they had first met. So scared and young they had once been. So many times she had been there for him, and he for her. This time, they needed to band together.

"You know Miranda; I think that Peter in this last year has become a man. I think that he has been trying to fight out of the boy he was into the man he will become. When we came back, he was so hopeful and happy. We were all expecting things to be the same. But when we found the Narnians, they didn't treat us like they used to. Yes, they call us by our titles and say "your majesty," but there is really no respect. I have felt it, you have felt it, but Peter is taking it the hardest."

"Because they used to treat him with the most respect. Because he was the High King, they honored him more. They never treated him like a kid, and now, it's like we had never been here before," Miranda said, her eyes glancing up towards Edmund.

"Thanks Ed. I needed to be reminded. And thanks for listening."

"Then thank you for letting me explain. I've been trying to explain it to myself for the last year, and it hasn't worked. Telling you has."

Edmund reached out an arm and pressed Miranda's shoulder.

"We need to be there for him Miranda. Are you with me?"

A smile crossed Miranda's face.

"I am my king."

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**Sorry if movie quotes are wrong. Again, I only saw the movie once. **

**Originally, the conversation between Miranda and Edmund never took place. But after seeing an interview with William Moseley in which he explained the changes in his character, I decided to explain through their eyes how he changed.**


	11. The Raid

**The Raid**

Into the dark black night, a griffon swooped down. Silently, stealthily it flew.

It landed on a tower, and King Edmund released his hold on the griffon, gripping onto the tower. The guard beneath him never saw what was coming.

The griffon quickly snatched the guard in its claw, silencing him. And Edmund jumped down to the tower floor. Pulling out his torch, he clicked it on and off. Out of the darkness he saw five griffons swooping down to the castle.

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Peter gave Caspian the signal. He watched as Caspian drew his sword, and the griffon swooped lower. A guard looked up, and tried to grab his own sword, but was too late. Caspian lashed his sword, and the guard fell.

The griffon pulled up higher, and followed the others.

Peter saw Susan take out an arrow and shoot. The arrow hit the guard, and Peter drew his sword and attacked another as the griffons gently dropped them on the castle wall. Miranda popped up beside Peter and shot an arrow, killing another guard. So far, so good.

After Caspian and Trumpkin made their landings, the small group headed towards a ridge. Caspian took a piece of rope and tied it to a small pillar. Slowly, he lowered himself down to a window.

"Professor," he whispered as he knocked on the window.

There was no answer.

Peter lowered himself as Caspian opened the window, and he noticed that the window had a small jagged hole.

Susan followed close behind. Trumpkin began lowering himself, but lost hold. As he began to fall, Susan reached out and caught him by the beard. The two quickly pulled themselves in the room. Last of all, Miranda brought herself down and entered the room.

Peter glanced around a room full of astronomical instruments and historical books. Caspian picked up a small pair of glasses that were on the desk.

"We have to find him," Caspian said.

"We don't have enough time! We need you at the gate," Peter argued.

"If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be here! And neither would I!"

Susan looked over at Peter and said;

"You and I can handle Miraz."

"And I can still get to the gate in time," Caspian added.

"My king," Peter suddenly heard behind him. He turned to Miranda. "Let me get to the gate."

"No Miranda," Peter said firmly. "I need you at the armory to make sure the soldiers do not get to their weapons."

"But sire, it would be much easier for Prince Caspian to get to the armory. Less time consuming for us all."

"No Miranda. You are my best swordsman and I know how you can fight. I need you at the armory."

Miranda simply nodded her head.

"Everyone get to your positions," Peter ordered. The five left the room in different directions.

"_Yes," _Peterthought_, "Everything is going to be alright. Now it will all get back to normal."_

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda slowly remembered Caspian's instructions of how to get to the armory. She went down a flight of stairs, went past the stables, and stationed herself in the middle of a room full of swords and armor.

For a few moments, everything was silent and still. Miranda took out her bow and an arrow and readied herself. She knew that at any moment she would hear Narnians in the castle grounds, and that the battle would start quickly. So she wanted to be ready when it was supposed to start.

Suddenly, she heard bells ringing. Someone had sounded the alarm!

Before Miranda could turn around to try and get herself and the others out before it was too late, five soldiers rushed in. Miranda shot the arrow in her hand, then put her bow back in the quiver. There were too many to shoot, so she did the only thing she could do.

Miranda drew her sword and began a furious battle. At first, it was not so hard. Four or five would come in at a time, and that would be it. But as she fought longer, the numbers became larger, and Miranda noticed that many were getting away.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder.

"Aahh," she screamed. Looking at her wound, she saw an arrow. Quickly, she pulled it out, knowing that it would get in the way of her fighting.

She took a quick glance around her as she killed another soldier. She spotted several archers aiming for her. Wide-eyed, she flipped over three soldiers and raced out the door as quickly as her legs could go. She knew that if she stayed in there much longer, she was going to get herself killed.

She ran out of the room, through the stables, and into the courtyard. What she saw shocked her. Narnians all over were fighting for their lives as soldier after soldier raced into the courtyard. From the corner of her eye, Miranda saw a line of archers readying themselves.

She knew that there wasn't much time. Fighting her way through, she searched for Peter.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter slammed his sword down on another soldier, his fury raging. Soldier after soldier came rushing towards him for an attack. But every single one fell.

Suddenly, Peter felt a hard push on his side, and he fell over. Eyes flashing, he turned his head to look at his attacker, and saw Miranda.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "You're supposed to be at the armory!"

"Well if I thought that I could stand a slim chance in there I would have stayed," she yelled as she turned and killed the attacking soldier. "That not being the case, I decided to get out of there as fast as I could!"

Peter and Miranda came up back to back, and fought down all that stood in their path.

"What happened?" Miranda shouted.

Peter felt anger surge through him.

"Caspian wasn't at the gate! And Miraz escaped!"

"What?! He said he would be there!"

"I know."

The two young people kept fighting harder and harder. Suddenly, Miranda shouted;

"Peter!" and pulled him hard to the left.

"What the…" he started.

"Aahh," Miranda cried out as an arrow punctured her thigh. As she fell to the ground, Peter suddenly saw in horror what was happening. Narnians all over were falling by arrows fired above.

"Peter, we can't hold them off!" Miranda shouted.

Peter looked down at his friend, and from the look she gave him, he knew that it was time.

"Fall back!"

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda pulled the arrow out slowly, knowing that if she pulled this one too fast, that it would begin bleeding even worse.

As she got it out, she began glancing through the fight, trying to find the ones she was supposed to make sure got out of there.

In the distance, she could hear the Western Woods lashing around wildly.

"Griffon," she cried out to the skies. "Find King Edmund!"

She watched as Susan grabbed a hold of a galloping centaur, and saw Caspian coming out of the stables on a horse, pulling another. She noticed that an older man rode beside him. Then, seeing a soldier about to attack them from above, Miranda pulled out her knife and threw. The soldier fell to the ground, and Miranda saw Caspian bring the horse to Peter. The three raced out of the castle.

Miranda rushed toward the dead soldier and took out her knife. Suddenly, she heard a creaking noise. Turning her head, she saw the gate drop down. The minotaur that had been holding it up was dead from too many wounds.

Narnians all over began to panic, and tried to climb up and over to the other side.

"Narnians!" Miranda shouted. The Narnians stopped for just a moment, and all of a sudden, in their eyes, they did not see a young girl, but a warrior. Narnia's warrior.

"To me Narnians!" she shouted, and pulled out her bow and an arrow. "Let us die for Narnia's freedom!"

The Narnian's looks of panic left, and they ran up toward her. Swords drawn, arrows strung, the Narnians within the castle made one last effort for the freedom of Narnia. Arrows came raining down on them, but not one Narnian stopped.

Many more soldiers fell to the Narnians wrath that night. Miranda shot till there were no more arrows for her to shoot. Her knife and sword fought and killed many. And just when she saw them beginning to fall, she suddenly felt herself being lifted into the air by a large claw.

"Put me down!" she shouted. "I won't leave them all behind!"

"It's too late Warrior," the griffon that had carried her twice before said. "They have already fallen."

Miranda's eyes filled with tears and her chest tightened. They had gone into battle full of the hope that Narnia would be free again. And they died with the knowledge that they would never see that day come.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**As I watched the movie during the last part of this scene, I felt tears in my eyes. I tried to put that feeling back in here as best as I could. **

**Oh, and for those that may think that I am playing favorites with Peter by blaming Caspian, believe me, I'm not. But you will have to wait until the next chapter to see how it turns out.**


	12. Anger, Sorrow, and Temptation

**Anger, Sorrow, and Temptation**

If Caspain had one wish, it would to have turned back time and to never have blown the horn. He had called the kings and queens to help them, not to get half of their army killed.

"What happened?" Queen Lucy asked in a strained voice as the small group of surviving Narnians slowly walked towards the Howe.

The high king's head glanced up at his sister's words.

"Ask him!" he said angrily, directing his head toward Caspian.

Caspian looked up in shock and anger. Now he was blaming him for it?!

"Peter!" Caspian heard Queen Susan say, but paid no attention to it. He was going to have it out now!

"Me? You could have called it off, there was still time!"

"No there wasn't thanks to you," King Peter replied, his voice shaking. "If you had kept to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now."

"And if you had just stayed here like I had suggested they definitely would be," Caspian shot back, his anger burning.

"You called us, remember?"

Caspian narrowed his eyes.

"My first mistake."

"No. Your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people." The words from King Peter's mouth were cold and hard as he turned to walk towards the Howe.

But Caspian was far from finished.

"Hey!" he shouted, grabbing King Peter's shoulder and turning him around to look him in the face. "I am not the one who abandoned Narnia."

King Peter's face went white, and Caspian knew that he had struck a nerve. Whether that was good or bad, he wasn't sure.

"You invaded Narnia," the high king said, his throat tight. "You have no more right leading than Miraz does."

Now Caspian was really mad, and he was not willing to hear anymore insults. This so called "High" king had mocked him long enough. He brush passed his shoulder and went angrily towards the Howe.

"You, him, your father! Narnia's better off without the lot of you."

Everything suddenly went blank. That remark about his father was going too far. Caspian lost his control. Grasping his sword, he lifted it and screamed. The high king grabbed his sword, and the two pointed them menacingly at each other.

Then, all of a sudden, a voice shouted;

"Stop it!" and a sword crashed down in between the two, making them both let go of their swords. They both turned to the source of the sword and the voice, and Caspian gasped.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter's eyes went wide with horror as he saw the condition Miranda was in. Dried blood had caked onto her clothes from both of her wounds. Her hair had become undone and now fell down over her shoulders. Her face was streaked with dust and dirt, and her clothes were torn and cut up into near shreds. Her quiver was empty, save for the bow, and she held her sword in her right hand.

But to look into her eyes was the worst. A vat of darkness and fatigue, filled with sadness and pain.

"Stop acting like children!" she continued, her voice strained. "Can you not see that this is both of yours fault?"

Both Peter and Caspian looked to each other like they had been punched in the stomach.

Miranda first looked towards Caspian.

"You said that you would be at the gate. When you said that, you gave us your word, and we trusted you to do as you said. You jeopardized the whole mission when you didn't do as you told us you would. We were found out too soon, because of you. A true King of Narnia would have kept his word."

Caspian's face went pale, but he kept silent.

Then Miranda turned towards him.

"Why didn't you call it off? We had enough time to get out of there. Narnians died because we did not get out of there when we could. Why didn't you?"

Peter was silent. What could he tell her? That he wanted things back the way they were before?

Miranda's eyes suddenly went wide.

"You didn't call it off because you are the high king, and you thought that you could do it?! ON YOUR OWN?!!!" Miranda's voice had risen, and tears began streaking down her cheeks. "When did this all become about you? When did it all become you on your own? We all used to do this together. And we did it with Aslan at our head."

Miranda stopped for a moment, her chest heaving and the tears running faster; and Peter's gaze fell down to the ground. She knew him all too well. Yes, he admitted it. He had done it for himself. Just for once this time he wanted things to go his way, the way they used to. But it was that thinking that led Narnians to die last night. The tears that he had been fighting off now ran down his face. His face looked up to Miranda, and her hazel eyes were cold.

"The high king of Narnia would not have done that. Because of your pride and arrogance," she then turned to Caspian, "And your incompetence, Narnia lost many people. People who were fighting for their freedom."

She turned to the Howe, but then she stopped, and looked Peter in the eye.

"Never have I been ashamed to call myself the Warrior of Narnia; until now."

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Edmund watched both Caspian and Miranda closely as they went into the Howe. Both of their shoulders were tense, but Edmund noticed that as soon Peter turned around, Miranda's shoulders slumped, then shook. Edmund had a feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.

"Go follow her Ed," he heard Lucy say beside him, putting some cordial into the wounded Trumpkin's mouth.

Edmund whipped his head to look his sister in the eye.

"How did...?"

"I know that face Ed. You go to Miranda. I'll see if I can talk to Peter when I'm done here. And I'll tell the professor that he should talk with Caspian."

Edmund gave his sister a smile.

"Thanks Lu," he said, then turned around and ran into the Howe.

He found Miranda in the exact place he thought he would. In front of a painting of Aslan, her sword stabbed to the ground.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

All Miranda had to do was close her eyes and she saw them again. Every face full of pain and fear

looking up at her as the griffon carried her off. She should have been there with them, but she wasn't. She let the tears fall freely as she mourned the loss of the Narnians.

She tensed when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Miranda," a voice whispered, and she relaxed as she recognized Edmund's voice.

"Forgive me Edmund," she began. "It's just….."

"No Miranda. It should be Peter apologizing to you. I came because I thought that something was wrong. Are you alright?"

Miranda turned her body towards her friend.

"No Edmund. No, I'm not."

Edmund reached down and slowly began to wipe the tears off of her face.

"I had a feeling you weren't," he replied. Then looked her up and down

"We should get you to a healer, and then get you cleaned up. You are an absolute mess."

The two shared a soft laugh. Then, silence and grief clouding them, the two headed toward the medical wing.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Edmund looked Miranda up and down again as he helped a satyr bandage Miranda's wounds. Something wasn't right about the way she looked. Her wounds were more numerous than the rest of them, and her eyes looked more forlorn. A sudden thought came to him.

"You were trapped with the rest of the Narnians, weren't you?"

"Yes Edmund. The gate closed before I could get out."

Edmund thought for a moment, then said;

"How did you get out?"

"I didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that it was not by anything I did that I got out. A griffon suddenly came down and carried me away."

Edmund noticed that Miranda's voice had become strained, and that she was fighting back more tears.

"What happened Miranda? And this time, tell me the whole thing."

Miranda was quiet for a few moments, as if trying to find her bearings.

"I didn't want to leave them Edmund. When the griffon began to take me away, I shouted for him to take me back down to the others; that I wasn't going to just leave them behind. But it was too late. They were all already dead. And I couldn't do anything about it."

Edmund didn't say anything else. He knew what she was thinking; that she shouldn't have made it out of the castle. She didn't think that she had done enough to help them, to try and save them. In her eyes, she had failed Narnia.

After Miranda's wounds were cleaned, she went to another room to change her clothes and wash her face and hair. But when she stepped out again, the look hadn't left her. Finally, Edmund spoke.

"You can't expect to save all of them Miranda. You just can't. It isn't possible."

"I know Edmund. I know," Miranda answered in a tired voice. Then her eyes took a puzzled expression, and she looked over at Edmund. "Do you feel something strange?"

Edmund suddenly felt as if an icy hand were clutching his stomach.

"Ow," he shouted as his hand went towards the pain. Then he realized the place he had touched.

"Ow," Miranda shrieked, clutching her arm. Edmund's eyes went wide as he noticed the exact spot where she held her arm.

Miranda's eyes looked up at him with fear.

"It's her!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the two grabbed their swords and headed for the source of the cold.

They headed towards the Stone Table.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda's arm was stinging with pain where the White Witch had wounded her so many years before. She stole a glance at Edmund. His face was deathly white, and his hand went back to his stomach.

They ran as fast as they could towards the Stone Table, and stopped dead in their tracks. The first thing they saw was the White Witch, trapped within an icy column. The second thing that they noticed was a hag and a werewolf; and Nikabrik! The third thing was Caspian, holding up a bleeding hand to the Witch as if in a trance.

"No!!!" Edmund shouted, and the two ran headlong into the room.

Miranda went charging up towards Caspian, but she suddenly felt a body shove her side and she fell over.

"I don't think so," the high, wheezy voice of the hag leered over her, holding a knife. Suddenly, Peter's face came into view, and he flung his sword at the hag. The hag saw it coming, and blocked with her knife just in time.

Miranda slowly came up, slightly dazed. The werewolf was chasing Edmund up to a ledge. But just as the werewolf pounced, Edmund turned and thrust his sword up, killing the beast. Miranda's eyes searched for Nikabrik. Lucy had him in a tight hold with her knife, keeping him from harming the dwarf, Trumpkin. But suddenly, he grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground. Thinking fast, Miranda reached back for her bow and….

"_Shoot! I didn't get them!"_ her thoughts shouted.

Taking her knife from its sheath, she threw it towards Trumpkin. It landed just beside him, and he killed Nikabrik before he could do anything more to Lucy.

Peter now threw the hag over to the side. The hag hit a stone wall, and Miranda came up and dug her sword into its middle, making sure it was dead.

"Get away from him," Peter shouted to the Witch as he pushed Caspian to the side. Miranda's gaze ran over to Peter. He held his sword threateningly at the Witch, his eyes angry and hateful. The Witch drew back for just a second.

"Peter dear," the Witch cooed, "It's been so long. I've missed you."

Miranda watched Peter's face change into confusion.

"_Come on Peter! Finish it!"_

"Come on," she said sweetly. "Just one drop. You know you can't do this on your own."

Peter's face softened, then took on the glaze-like look that Caspian had had just moments before.

"No Peter!!!" Miranda shouted, racing to stop him. But suddenly, the sound of cracking ice erupted in the room. The Witch's face took on a look of fear as she watched the ice around her breaking. Then, suddenly, the column of ice shattered. Everyone within the room ducked as sharp ice flew everywhere. And just behind where the White Witch was, stood King Edmund, his sword drawn; and his eyes taking on the look that he had had years before.

Not quite knowing what she was doing, Miranda knelt down upon one knee, respecting her wise and just king. Truly, King Edmund the Just of Narnia, had returned home.

Looking toward his brother, King Edmund said in a cold, hard voice;

"I know; you had it sorted."

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Edmund's body was trembling with fear and anger all over as he stepped away from the place the White Witch was just moments before.

"Miranda; come with me please."

"Yes my king." She replied, gathering herself up from her position.

As soon as the two were out of hearing distance, Edmund turned around and faced Miranda.

"Did I just see what I think I saw?"

"You most certainly did."

Edmund closed his eyes and tried not to see the Witch's face looking back at him. Those cold, cruel eyes staring back at him. And his brother, his own brother, looking at her like he had wanted to set her free.

"She is gone my king. Because of your quick thinking and action, the Witch is gone."

"But Peter," Edmund said tightly. "He was so close to letting her go. You saw the look on his face. He wanted to do it. Why?"

"I believe my king, that that is a question that you are going to have to ask him yourself."

Edmund suddenly remembered something that puzzled him.

"Miranda, after the ice column crashed, you….. knelt down, like you sometimes did in the old days. I... I don't understand."

Miranda's hazel eyes shone with a light that he hadn't seen in a long time.

"If you could have seen your face my king, then you would know why. You were no longer King Edmund that came back to Narnia a young boy. You were King Edmund the Just, in the prime of your reign."

Edmund smiled at his old friend.

"Thanks for being there with me."

"I wasn't about to fail again sire," she said with a sly smile. "Besides, that's what friends are for."

The two didn't say anything for a moment, both of them lost in their thoughts. Then Miranda said;

"You are still trembling sire, and you are breathing too fast."

Edmund gave a forced laugh.

"Only you would notice that Miranda."

"Let us get you out into the open air before you faint or something."

The two turned toward the back entrance and ran out into the open air. Centaurs and minotaurs stood in the open area, either sleeping or sharpening their weapons.

Edmund breathed slowly and steadily, trying to forget the events that had just happened. Suddenly, one of the centaurs stepped forward, and Edmund quickly recognized the tall form of Glenstorm. His eyes were looking darkly upon Miranda.

"How is it that you made it out of the castle, while my son did not?"

Edmund's gaze went to Miranda. He knew that a challenge was being issued.

"If I could have saved your son, I would have."

"No," the centaur replied grimly. "The true Warrior of Narnia would have saved him. Not you."

The look that crossed Miranda's face was one that Edmund hoped he would never see again. She looked as if an arrow had struck her heart; filled with poison. She staggered back before saying;

"What have I done to cause you to hate me so? What do you want from me?"

Glenstorm's face took on a darker shade (if that were possible), and his voice was thick as he spoke.

"I want you to disappear from the face of the earth."

Without warning, the tall centaur drew his sword and ran for an attack. Edmund felt fear course through him as he approached, but knew better than to try and interfere.

When the centaur came within three feet of Miranda, she drew her sword and ducked down under him. His body came over her, but not to his advantage. As his front legs climbed over her, Miranda's sword sliced once, then twice. The centaur immediately fell down to his knees, causing him to drop his sword. He shouted out, and Edmund realized what Miranda had done. She had sliced the back of his front legs, causing him to be unable to stand on them without great pain.

Miranda quickly rolled out from under him as the rest of his body followed his legs. Coming up in front of him, she said;

"Do you really think that I am glad that I was rescued?" she asked the centaur softly. "Believe me, I wish more than anything that I had died last night instead of your son."

She then sat down on her knees and examined Glenstorm's wounded legs.

"It is not bad. But you should get yourself to a healer, just to be certain."

Glenstorm gazed at her in wonder.

"How did you know the weak point?"

A sad smile crossed her face.

"I was trained by the great centaur general, Orieus. He taught me all I know."

Glenstorm's eyes looked down.

"He trained you well….Warrior of Narnia."

Edmund breathed a sigh of relief. The girl and the centaur shook hands, and then Glenstorm went to a healer for his legs.

"Well done Miranda."

"I knew it was unavoidable. It just took knowing how to deal with it to make me ready."

Suddenly, a faun came rushing towards them, breathing heavily.

"Your majesty; You must come quickly."

Edmund's brow knotted in confusion, but he followed the faun with Miranda at his heels. The faun led them to the other side of the Howe, and Edmund gasped.

Hundreds of Telmarines were lining up just beyond the edge of the forest. Miraz had taken no time in taking advantage of the Narnian's weakness.

"Miranda, get Caspian and my sisters. I'll go and get Peter."

"Yes sire."

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter sat on the edge of the Stone Table; his eyes transfixed on the image of Aslan carved in the stone.

"_I know. You had it sorted."_

Edmund's words had stung. But he knew they were true. He had tried doing this by himself; again.

"_Never have I been ashamed to call myself the Warrior of Narnia; until now."_

Peter had to try and make it right. Narnian's had died, Edmund had seen his worst nightmare come back, and Miranda had seen a sight that would forever be seared into her mind. His selfish actions and pride had led them to this. But what did Aslan want him to do? What was he supposed to do now after having messed up this far? How could he even try and make it right?

"_If only I knew."_

He felt someone sit down beside him; and knew immediately who it was.

"You're lucky."

"What?" the confused voice of Lucy answered.

"To have seen him," he replied. "If only I knew what he wanted me to do."

Lucy looked at him with her big blue eyes.

"Maybe, we're supposed to find that out for ourselves."

"_That might just be the problem."_

His eyes went back up to the image of Aslan.

_"Forgive me Aslan,"_ his heart pleaded. _"Please forgive me."_

"Peter!" Edmund's voice erupted.

Peter and Lucy turned around towards their brother. Peter noticed something strange about his brother's glance, but the moment quickly passed.

"You should come quickly."

The three siblings ran out onto a ledge looking over the plain where Beruna once stood. Caspian, Susan, the professor Cornelius, Trumpkin, and Miranda stood waiting for them.

"It looks like Miraz didn't wait long," Miranda said.

The Telmarines were lined up in hundreds along the plain. A single white horse stood in the middle, with a rider dressed in gold armor. Miraz.

Peter knew that they needed to do something quick.

"We need a plan now!"

"No kidding," Edmund stated.

Peter could feel everything within him tense at the sight of the Telmarine soldiers. Then, quite suddenly, he felt a peace within him, and a thought sprung up in his mind.

_"Oh Aslan. How could I have been so blind?"_

"Come with me into one of the smaller rooms," Peter said. "I think that I might have an idea."

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Sorry about the long wait everyone! And please warn me if I needed to rate this story T!**


	13. Forgiveness and Healing

**Forgiveness and Healing**

Lucy looked from her brother to the dwarf. They were sitting in a small room towards the middle of the Howe for privacy. A table had been placed in the middle of the room where a map was now sitting.

"That's your next big plan. Sending a little girl, into the darkest part of the woods, alone!" Trumpkin's voice rose in frustration.

"It's our only chance," Peter replied, his voice calm and controlled.

Lucy's eyes glanced over toward Trumpkin, who was still red in the face.

"And she won't be alone," Susan added beside Lucy.

Lucy let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Then I'm coming with you," Trumpkin pleaded, addressing her.

Lucy's heart went out to the dwarf that had already helped Narnia so much. She would have loved to have him come along, but she knew that it would not be necessary. He would be far more needed here than where she was going.

Softly, she put her hand on the dwarf's shoulder and said;

"No. You are needed here."

Lucy then looked over to the tense form of Miranda. She knew what the next few seconds would hold, and did the only thing she could do.

"As are you Miranda."

Miranda's head went down and her shoulders slumped in defeat. Lucy knew that what she had just asked her to do was one of the hardest things she would ever do. But there was no other way. Miranda needed to be here.

"You don't like making my job very easy; do you?" Miranda said as her head lifted up.

Lucy smiled knowingly at her friend and she sat down beside her.

"I never did make it very easy; did I?"

"Never!"

"Then for Aslan," the noble Reepicheep stated.

"For Aslan," the bulgy bear repeated.

Lucy then looked towards Peter, who had become silent.

"We need to stall the Telmarines long enough for them to get back," he said.

"If I may," Caspian's voiced from his seat nearer to the shadows. Peter nodded towards him, and Caspian stepped forward.

"Miraz may be a tyrant, and a murderer. But as the new king, he is subject to the ancient ways of our people. There is one in particular which may buy us some time."

"And that would be...." Edmund said.

"A challenge of single combat."

The room became suddenly still and silent. Almost as suddenly as it happened, the silence was stopped.

"No your highness!"

"Miranda, it might be our only hope," Peter replied, obviously knowing it was him she was speaking to.

"Yes, it might just be. What I am saying is that I do not want you to be the one doing it."

"How do you know that I will do it?"

"I know that look in your eyes Peter. I did not serve under you as a Warrior for fifteen years for nothing," Miranda said, her eyes flashing.

"Miranda, being the High King means that I am the one that has to send the challenge and fight the duel. That is just the way of things," Peter said in a tired voice.

"And if you do it, than I cannot come in between you and death!" Miranda nearly shouted. Her eyes were wide with fear and her muscles were tense. "The last time you did this, you nearly died!"

"But I didn't," Peter replied coolly.

Miranda looked away from his face and took a deep breath.

Lucy looked over to her eldest brother. She knew that the words had not been easy for him to say. But just as Lucy knew she was needed here, Peter knew that Miranda could not be the one to fight the single combat.

Miranda finally turned her face toward Peter, and said;

"Issue the challenge than Peter. Just... don't get yourself killed."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter was quiet as he helped Edmund into a suit of armor. As soon as that was done, Edmund would go to Miraz and give him the challenge. Then, hopefully, Miraz would accept, and they would fight to the death.

_"I cannot come between you and death."_

If Peter wasn't going to be truthful, he would say that Miranda's words didn't bother him. But they did. He took it for granted that Miranda would always be there to save him and his family. To always make sure that they were safe. But as she had said those words, it dawned on him that she wouldn't always be there. And the thought almost scared him.

"Peter?"

Peter broke from his thoughts and began to quicken his motions.

"Sorry Edmund. I guess I got a little bit distracted."

"You seem to have a problem with that lately."

Peter looked up at his brother, and there gazes met. Edmund's eyes were dark and serious; and something else.

"What do you mean by that Ed?"

"I'm talking about what happened with the Witch."

Peter's gaze faltered.

"What happened Peter? Why didn't you stab her while you had the chance? Why was the look that I saw on your face showing you wanted her to come back?"

Peter didn't look into his brother's eyes for a moment. He recognized the thing he hadn't before.

Hurt. He had hurt his brother when he wanted to set her free. And why wouldn't he be? The Witch had almost killed him, and there Peter was, wanting to set her loose.

He almost wanted to say that he had put under a spell, that he didn't want to do it. But he also even more didn't want to lie to his brother.

"She showed me a vision Edmund," Peter finally said. "I saw myself as King of Narnia again, with no Telmarines or any other enemy in my way. I saw her under my control; under my power. And I wanted it."

Edmund's eyes were filled with hurt and pain, but Peter continued.

"For just a moment, I forgot what she did to you. And what she did to Aslan."

Tears began falling down Edmund's face. But he had to know this last thing.

"Then, you stabbed her. And I saw again who she really was, and what would really have happened if I had set her free. Then, I saw that her image had been covering the image of Aslan. If I could tell you the guilt and shame that came over me at that moment...."

Peter had not realized until that moment that he had been crying. The guilt and horror of what he had almost done came back like an ocean wave.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up. Edmund's face was streaked with tears, and the pain had not left his gaze. But the hurt had. A soft smile grew on his face.

"I forgive you Peter. I forgive you."

The two brothers cradled each other in their arms until no more tears could be shed.

Finally, Edmund pulled away.

"I'd better get this message to Miraz."

"Yes, I suppose you should," Peter replied with a smile.

Edmund was at the door when he turned around and said;

"You need to go talk to Miranda."

Then, he turned and left.

_"I know,"_ Peter thought. _"I know."_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Caspian wasn't sure what to make of the Warrior. Her back was straight and rigid, and her left hand clutched the hilt of her sword until her knuckles were white.

As soon as King Edmund had left, the Warrior had stationed herself at the entrance of the Howe; waiting for him to return.

Caspian started when he felt someone beside him. It was the High King.

"What's wrong?" King Peter asked him.

"A few things," Caspian answered.

"Like what?"

Caspian hesitated for just a second.

"I owe you an apology for what happened last night. I should have been at the gate; and instead, I was out trying to avenge my father's death. But at the cost of every Narnian life. And I am sorry."

The High King said nothing for a moment, then replied;

"I didn't do much better than you. I was trying to put myself back on the throne when I knew that I should be helping you. And for that, I also apologize."

The two didn't speak for a moment before King Peter said;

"What was the other thing that was bothering you."

Caspian glanced over at the Warrior.

"What's wrong with her?"

The High King's gaze rested on the Warrior, and a soft smile crept onto his face.

"She is worried."

"She has been sitting there since your brother left," Caspian remarked.

"I'm not surprised. She always did that in the old days too."

"Why?"

The High King looked at him with surprise, which quickly dissolved into sadness.

"Has Narnia changed so much that we are remembered, but the Warrior is not?"

He then turned around and took a torch from one of the poles.

"Follow me."

Curious now, Caspian followed.

King Peter took him through the tunnels of the Howe until they came to the paintings and drawings on the walls. Caspian still looked in wonder at how four children sprang out of another world and defeated the White Witch.

The White Witch. The mere thought of her sent chills down Caspian's spine. She was all a story in a fairy tale until she had come to him face to face. Everything suddenly seemed so blurred and confused that he didn't even know what he was doing. All he saw was a vision of Miraz lying dead. Then, it all vanished when King Peter pushed him, and King Edmund stabbed her.

How could he possibly become king of Narnia if he couldn't even withstand her?

Caspian stopped abruptly when he realized the King Peter stood still. Without him even noticing it, they had traveled to a part of the tunnels Caspian had not yet seen.

"I want you to look at this," King Peter said.

Caspian looked at the walls that were illuminated by the torch the High King held, and gasped. Pictures of the Battle at Beruna were suddenly shown, and Caspian saw on a horse black as night, the Warrior of Narnia. The picture showed the Warrior with short hair like a man's.

"Did she....?"

"No," King Peter quickly replied. "That is a mistake that later Narnians made. That the Warrior was a man."

Caspian's gaze lingered on the great image. The Warrior was dressed in silver armor with a red coat of arms on her chest. She held her sword high, her black horse rearing with excitement.

King Peter reached out his hand and stroked the image of the black horse.

"That was Onyx," he explained. "One of the greatest Narnian horses alive."

Caspian's gaze traveled over the walls showing battles and wars that the Warrior had been in. But suddenly he stopped. He came up closer to an image of the lion Aslan; the Warrior kneeling before him.

"That was the day she accepted becoming the Warrior of Narnia," the High King said.

Caspian gazed up at King Peter.

"Why did she accept it?"

"Because Aslan chose her. And that was reason enough for her."

"And why did Aslan choose her?"

The High King smiled.

"No one will ever know. My brother, sisters, and I will never know why Aslan chose us to be Kings and Queens of Narnia. He just did. And we accepted the gift he gave us. It wasn't easy, but it was well worth it."

Caspian still had one more question.

"High King Peter....."

"Please," he said in a exhasperated voice, "No more. No more King Peter, High King, High King Peter, or even sire. Just call me Peter."

Caspian let out a loud laugh.

"Was it really that bad?"

"Yes," Peter replied.

"Well then, Peter, what was the oath she took? I know that she took one, but what is it exactly?"

Peter was silent for a moment, and his face looked like it was remembering.

"It was the day of the battle. We had just found out that Aslan was dead, and everyone was looking to me to lead them. Miranda stepped forward, took out her sword, and offered the hilt towards my brother and I. Then, she said that under the power of Aslan, she had been named Warrior of Narnia, and that she would do all that she could to protect Narnia, all who lived in it, and if it came to it, to come between us and death."

Caspian thought for a minute.

"Sounds like she took her job quite seriously."

"She did. I don't remember many times that she wasn't in a battle with us."

Remembering something, Caspian said;

"My professor says that the night I escaped, he had been warned by a Narnian arrow shooting through his window that Miraz would kill me that night. As I was talking with him earlier, he said that he believes that the Warrior..... Miranda I mean, was the one that shot the arrow."

"Again," Peter said, "I'm not surprised. Aslan has certain ways of telling her when things are going wrong."

Caspian chuckled. Then, he became solemn again. Something else that the professor had said came to him, and it wasn't pleasant.

"He also told me that he found a prophecy that foretells her death."

Peter's face suddenly became grave.

"That prophecy was made years ago by a centaur whom I greatly trusted. Whether or not the prophecy will come true or not, I don't know."

"Don't you think that someone should tell her?"

"She already knows."

Caspian's eyes suddenly went wide.

"Then why is she so calm? Why does she not live with any fear of this?"

"Because she trusts Aslan. Nothing happens without a reason, and she doesn't believe that she should live her life in fear for it."

The two were silent for many moments, when a satyr came walking towards them.

"Your majesties, the King Edmund has returned from Miraz's camp."

The two exchanged a glance, then ran past the satyr to the front of the Howe as fast as they could.

What they found was Edmund and Miranda in a fit of laughter.

"Well..." Peter said.

"He...He... He accepts your challenge," Edmund managed to get out through his laughter.

"Yes," Caspain breathed.

"Indeed," Peter agreed. Then looked on the two with a little bit of concern.

"For goodness sake, what are you two laughing about?"

Edmund stifled his laughter for just a second.

"If you could have seen Miraz's face when I was over there," he began, then started another burst of laughter, making Miranda laugh even louder.

"Would you two stop laughing for just a second and tell us what's going on?" Peter said, trying to hide a smile.

"First of all, he called me Prince Edmund," Edmund started off, then, holding off another bout of laughter, he said;

"Then, he was getting all angry at a lord called Sopespian, because he suggested that because of your youth, Miraz would be right to refuse. That started Miraz off in a fury. And I didn't make those matters much better."

Edmund was interrupted by Miranda trying to stifle her laughter. Caspian looked over to Peter, and realized that he was trying to hold back his own laughter.

"Then, I said that he was courageously refusing to fight a swordsman half his age. And if you could have seen his face...!" Finally, Edmund could do nothing more than laugh. That started Miranda off again, which started Peter off. Then, to Caspian's surprise, he found himself laughing. The four laughed until they could feel tears run down their cheeks. And no one knew the reason why!

Oh, it felt so good to be able to laugh.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda opened the door to the room that the dwarf had said her armor was in. It stood on a pole, light dancing off of its silver shine. The red tunic with the golden lion in its middle looked almost as if it had never touched battle before. Slowly, Miranda put the armor on, remembering the battles she had gone through before in armor much like this one.

Finishing with the armor, she braided two small strings of hair that came just behind the ears. Then she put the rest of her hair in a half tail, just enough to keep it out of her face, and secured it with a red pin that looked like the golden lion on her tunic.

Strapping her sword and knife to her waist, she looked at herself in a mirror. She hardly recognized herself from the small fifteen year old girl that had been staring at her for the last year. A girl with skimpy hair, pale skin, and tired eyes. No; she was looking at the Warrior of Narnia now.

A sudden knock on the door made her jump as she reached for her sword.

"Miranda," Peter's voice came through the door, "It's me. Might I come in?"

Relaxing her hold on her sword, Miranda opened the door. Peter was dressed in full armor, holding his helmet in his left hand.

"Can we talk for a moment?"

The tone of Peter's voice was strained and sad. Miranda had a feeling that she had better listen.

"Of course Peter."

Peter walked into the room, and immediately began pacing like a caged animal.

"How are you feeling?" Miranda asked, trying to get his mind off of whatever was bugging him.

His face turned toward her, and he gave a weak smile.

"To be honest, not so good."

"Did your sisters make it out alright?"

"Yes, thank you. Caspian saw to that."

He began pacing again, then, as if lighting struck him, he stopped.

"I need to beg a huge apology of you Miranda," he said, his voice strained. "I have acted beastly and selfish and not like a King of Narnia should." At this, he paused, looked her squarely in the eye, and said;

"And I haven't acted like a very good friend either. Please," he pleaded, his eyes begging, "Please, forgive me."

Miranda looked closely into Peter's eyes, and saw the light shining through him that had not been there before. And she knew, finally, that High King Peter the Magnificent had returned to Narnia once more.

"Of course Peter. Of course I do."

The two friends embraced each other, and Miranda knew that the old Peter was back again.

"Oh," Peter said, "By the way, you might be wanting this."

And from his belt, Peter pulled a necklace Miranda knew all to well.

"Where did you find it?" she shrieked as she took the miniature sword from Peter's hand.

"It was in my things back at Cair Paravel. I had a feeling you would like it back."

"You knew right," Miranda replied, securing the necklace on her neck. She noticed that Peter was wearing his necklace as well, and something else she recognized.

"Isn't that the silver bracelet I gave you when you turned nineteen?"

A wide grin spread across Peter's face.

"You know it!" Then, a strange expression coming across his face, he said;

"And isn't that the pin I gave you when you turned twenty-two."

Miranda laughed and nodded her head.

"I remember the reason why I gave it to you as well," Peter continued, giving a chuckle.

"Yep. After we battled the giants on the Ettinsmoor plains, I complained that I could never keep my hair out of my face during a battle, no matter what I did."

"And I had an older dwarf make that for you so that at least a small bit of your hair would stay out of your face."

"That's right," Miranda ended.

A knock on the door warned them that it was time.

"Are you ready for this?" Miranda asked.

"Nope," Peter replied. "But then, I never was."

The two left the room and went towards the Howe's entrance. Suddenly, they both heard a strange noise.

"What's that?" Peter asked.

"It's the eastern ocean," Miranda replied in a worried voice.

"I'll be back in just a second," she said, then turned and ran before Peter could ask anything.

Finding Caspian near the side entrance, Miranda said;

"The queens left this way?"

"Yes, a short while ago."

"Then if I might ask you to do me a huge favor."

"Of course," Caspian said, though his eyes told her he was confused.

"Then saddle a horse and follow them. I have a feeling they're in trouble."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**


	14. Fight Like Never Before

**"Fight like never before"**

He was sitting on a chair in the middle of some old ruins that he couldn't remember the significance of, facing a large hill called "Aslan's Howe," or something like that. Staring at him on his right was a large centaur; and to the left, a talking bear.

Miraz was quite confident that he had put the Narnians in their place. No more would he be plagued with the very thought of their existence. And Caspian now being on their side only made it easier to take the throne.

He tightened the straps on his armor as he awaited the "High King" Peter to come from his hole. This was going to be too easy.

The Narnians suddenly made a loud shout, and three figures emerged from the tall hill. Miraz recognized Prince.... King Edmund walking on the far left side, holding a magnificent sword across his chest. The High King walked in the middle, his gaze hard and ready. For just a second, Miraz's composure was shaken. Then his eyes traveled to the third figure, and he got a slight shock. Walking next to the King Peter was a young woman, holding a silver shield with a red crimson lion covering its front.

As the three figures reached the ruins, the Narnians became quiet. King Peter first turned to his left and took his shield from the girl. After he secured it in place, she knelt before him. The High King gave a soft smile, and put his hand upon her head. Then turning towards his brother, he took his sword from its sheath. For a moment, Miraz was blinded by the light that reflected off the blade, but he did manage to see the two brothers give a slight nod of their heads to each other.

"If things should seem to be going wrong..." he said to General Glozelle, nodding at the crossbow in his hands.

Glozelle gave a slight nod of his head, and Miraz stood up, taking his sword, shield, and helmet.

"I hope you won't be too disappointed if I survive."

Miraz and King Peter stepped forward at the same moment. Miraz decided to take a chance at messing with him.

"There is still time to surrender."

"Feel free," King Peter growled back, not missing a beat.

"How many more must die for the throne," Miraz snarled.

"Just one."

Miraz felt a chill crawl down his spine.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

It all happened within a second. One moment the two were five feet away from each other, tense and ready. The next moment, they were head to head in battle.

Peter jumped onto a fallen rock and slammed himself down upon Miraz. Miraz easily defended himself, and Peter had to block a swipe from Miraz's sword. He swung his sword for the middle, but Miraz had seen to quickly, and shielded himself. The next second, Peter felt a huge slam across his face as Miraz threw his whole body onto the shield.

The two played around for each other for a few moments before Miraz attacked head on. Peter felt his helmet fall from his head and the chain mail slipped away. He tried to throw his body on Miraz, using his whole weight against him. But Miraz was smart. He pulled out of the way fast, flinging Peter like a rag doll to the ground. Peter, trying to gain some ground, threw his foot at Miraz's face. He missed, but Miraz stepped back, giving Peter enough room to get back up.

Peter suddenly saw an opening, and cut a large slice on Miraz's knee. Miraz gave a cry out. He flung Peter back down upon the ground and stepped upon his shield. Peter could feel something within his arm snap.

"Aah," he cried out.

Miraz quickly began slamming his sword down upon Peter's unprotected body. Thinking fast, Peter rolled out of the way and managed to block Miraz's attacks. He picked himself up, and the two stopped for a moment, breathing heavily.

It seemed like it had only been a few minutes since their fight had began, but Peter knew that it had been much longer than that.

"Does his majesty need a respite," Miraz taunted from within his mask.

Peter would have liked to have said no, but the pain in his arm was almost too much for him to bear. He greatly hoped that he hadn't broken it.

"Five minutes?" Peter finally asked.

Miraz stared at him for a second before saying;

"Three."

If Peter could have laughed at that moment, he would have. It was Miraz who really wanted the break; not him.

The first thing that Peter saw as he turned around was Caspian riding towards them on top of a black horse with Susan behind him. The second thing he saw was as soon as he was in reaching distance, Miranda and Edmund grabbed both of his sides, helping him to a chair.

"Thanks," Peter said to Caspian.

Caspian let the smallest smile cross his lips.

"You were busy."

Peter then turned to his sister.

"Lucy?"

"She got through."

Peter gave a short sigh of relief.

"Keep smiling," Edmund suddenly said.

Peter turned around, raised his sword, and tried to smile. He knew that he was probably giving the Narnians the most strained smile that he had ever had, but it gave the desired effect. All the Narnians began leaping up and cheering. Peter then turned to his sister again.

"Get back with the archers," he said. "I don't trust the Telmarines to keep their word."

Susan nodded and hugged him on the side.

"OOOHH."

"Sorry," Susan apologized swiftly.

"It's okay," he replied, then nearly flung himself onto the chair.

"My arm," he groaned to his brother, "I think I've dislocated it."

Miranda slowly unstrapped the shield from Peter's arm.

"Edmund, come and have a look."

Edmund took Miranda's place and began feeling up and down his arm. Miranda, meanwhile, began to gently massage his arms, legs, and back, loosing up any tight muscles.

Peter's eyes glanced at Miraz, who was glaring at him with steely eyes.

"What do you think happens back home if you die here?"

Edmund gave Peter a knowing glance. It was a question that had popped up in both of their minds before, but never had Peter felt it coming more than now.

"You've always been there for me you know. And I've never thank.... AAHH!"

Edmund had suddenly yanked his arm, and Peter felt the worst of the pain leave him. Edmund gave him a quick pat on the back.

"Save it for later." Then he added, "You can beat him Peter. He doesn't have Aslan on his side."

Peter stood up, and thanked Edmund with a wink.

Miranda came up on his other side, putting his shield back in place.

"Don't try to use your weight on him. You're more nimble and fast. Use that."

"Thanks," Peter replied.

Miranda gave him a friendly smile.

"If I don't make it out of this...., please, my family.."

"I'll get them all back if it kills me," Miranda quickly replied.

Edmund nudged his arm, and Peter turned. He held up Peter's helmet to him, but Peter shook his head no. It would only bug him. He took hold of his sword and shook his left hand. It felt like a huge bruise. But that didn't matter now. All that mattered was giving Lucy enough time to get back.

Then, he walked back into battle.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

If Miranda could described what happened next, it would be just one word; torture.

She had forced herself to watch the first part, but she didn't know if she could last the second. Peter was exhausted already, although he tried to hide it. And Miranda knew that his arm hurt more than he would show.

Miraz and Peter didn't wait long to start it over again, and it all came to be a mass of arms, legs, and swords.

Miranda's whole body was tense and unsure. It took everything within her not to go charging in and protect her king.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to the face of Glenstorm.

"Relax," he whispered.

"I can't," she replied hoursely.

Glenstorm didn't say anything else, but he kept his hand on her shoulder, and Miranda was grateful for that; for if nothing else, it kept her from running in.

Miraz quickly took what advantage he could, and slammed his whole body upon Peter's shield, knowing that he had damaged it. Miranda could see Peter's face wince in agony, but he didn't cry out. Peter unlatched his shield, and began attacking once more with his sword. Miraz disarmed him quickly, but to no advantage of his. Peter immediately made a move of his own and disarmed Miraz.

But Miraz still had his shield. Bringing it full force upon him, Miraz pushed his body weight against Peter. Peter, not backing down, began twisting the shield around until Miraz's arm came up behind his back.

Miraz let out a bark of pain, but quickly recovered. He turned his body back around and hit Peter in the face. Peter let go, and Miraz managed to unlatch his shield. Seeing that Peter was still dazed, Miraz scrambled for a sword. Peter, finally recovering, followed.

Miraz flung his sword at Peter, looking quite pleased with himself. But just as he thrust his sword, Peter dodged out of the way. Then, he brought his hand down, balled into a fist, upon Miraz's wounded knee.

Miraz gave a huge gasp, and he fell down upon his knees.

"Respite," Miraz whispered rasply. "Respite."

Peter stood above him, ready for anything. But he didn't move.

"Now is not the time for chivalry Peter," Edmund shouted.

Miranda turned around and gave him a knock on the head.

"Ouch," he cried out softly, trying to not let anyone notice. "What was that for?"

"Never let me hear you say that again," Miranda growled.

Edmund gave her an annoyed look, then said;

"You could have said it in a different way."

Both of their gazes went back to Peter, who was still standing before Miraz. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Peter walked away.

Suddenly, Miraz turned around, his sword in his hand.

"Look out Peter!!!" Miranda shouted, her body tense and poised.

Peter immediately turned around and faced Miraz. The Telmarine was coming up fast, but quick as lightning, Peter grabbed the sword, turned it around, and wounded Miraz.

Miraz let out a another gasp and fell down upon his knees. The fight was won.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Caspian watched as Peter stood over Miraz, his sword ready to strike.

"What is the matter boy?" Miraz growled. "Too cowardly to take a life."

Peter's voice took on an age and sterness that Caspian had not yet heard.

"It's not mine to take."

Peter then did something that Caspian wasn't expecting. He turned around, and offered him the sword.

Caspian suddenly felt two things grow within him. One was pride at having the High King Peter feel that he should do this. And the second thing was revenge. He wanted his uncle to pay for what he had done to Narnia, to him, and most of all, to his father. Oh, how he wanted him to pay.

He stepped forward and took the offered sword. Peter grabbed his own sword from the rocky ground and stepped out of the way.

Now, it was just Miraz and Caspian. Just the two of them. Nothing stopping Caspian from finishing him off.

Caspian lifted up the sword and aimed for Miraz's heart. Nothing was going to stop him.

"Perhaps I was wrong," Miraz said softly. "Perhaps you do have the makings of a Telmarine king after all."

Miraz bowed his head, ready for the blow.

Caspian shook from anger and hurt. It was now or never.

_"Do it now!"_ his mind told his body. But nothing would move. Nothing would obey him.

Caspian felt his heart wrenching with the thought that he couldn't do this. That he couldn't do what he most wanted to do.

But then, Caspian heard a slight whisper in the wind;

_**"Don't be like him. I did not choose you for this moment in time to become like him. Revenge should not be in the heart of a true King of Narnia."**_

The anger, hurt, and revenge suddenly vanished from Caspian. With a shout, he plunged the sword down to the ground, tears racing down his cheeks.

Miraz looked up at him in surprise.

"Not a one like you," Caspian said weakly. Then, straightening himself up, he proclaimed;

"Keep your life. But I am giving the Narnians back their kingdom."

Caspian turned around, fully expecting anger or shouts of betrayal at him. But that was not at all what happened.

The Narnians gave a great shout of joy and began calling out the praises of King Caspian the Tenth. Both Peter and Edmund were smiling from ear to ear.

"Only a true King of Narnia would do that," Peter explained in a soft voice.

But, most surprising of all, was when Miranda stepped forward. Kneeling down on one knee, she offered her sword; the sword of the Warrior, to Caspian.

"A little over thirteen hundred years ago, I offered this same sword to the Kings and Queens of Cair Paravel. I took an oath, and promised to protect them with my life. I now ask you to take my sword in your service, that I might pass this oath onto you."

Caspian, quite speechless, said nothing. But he felt like he didn't need to. He reached down and took Miranda's sword.

"I accept your gift."

As soon as he said the words, the sword gave off a slight glow. Caspian looked on in wonder.

Suddenly, a sound from the Telmarine side made them start and reach for their weapons. What met their eyes horrified them.

Miraz was falling to the ground, a red arrow in his side. Lord Sopesian looked at the Narnians, and shouted;

"Treachery! They've murdered the King."

Before they could so much as blink, the Lord Sopespian and General Glozelle were racing back to their army; and another Telmarine charged for an attack. Caspian grasped his sword, Peter by his side. But neither of their swords reached the soldier. Suddenly, a knife whizzed past their heads and killed the soldier.

The two turned to the tense form of Miranda.

"The time is now," she said solemnly. "Fight like never before."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter took his place in the middle of the ruins. Edmund on his right, Miranda on his left. Edmund's sword was unsheathed and ready. Miranda had taken her bow and a quiver of arrows from the outstretched arms of Glenstorm, and had now notched an arrow and was taking aim.

He waited for first one catapult, then another to release their weapons. Peter could feel the pounding of horse's hooves as the Telmarine cavalry charged towards them.

Peter mentally calculated where they were. Just one more step...

Peter looked at Caspian and gave him a nod.

Caspian jumped upon his black horse and turned to the Howe, Glenstorm close behind him.

It was not long before they felt the ground beneath them shake, and heard the sound of a horn blowing from underneath them.

"One," Peter counted, "Two."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda steadied her bow as she felt the Narnians shaking the ground beneath them.

"Seven. Eight. Nine," Peter finished.

"Get ready!" he shouted, and Miranda braced herself for the impact, taking careful aim.

"Watch your aim," she heard Queen Susan shout behind her.

Then, in a flash, the horsemen went down in a tumble of rocks and earth. The trap had worked.

Miranda released her arrow, and watched it fly with the archers own arrows, decending upon the Telmarines. The Telmarine she had been watching fell, and Miranda strung another arrow.

Suddenly, Narnians shot out of the earth on both sides of the Telmarines. Miranda could make out the riding form of Caspian, waving his sword through the air.

"Charge," Peter shouted beside her.

Then, the Narnians attacked.

Before they even reached the Telmarines, Miranda ran out of arrows. Shrugging the quiver off of her shoulder, she used her bow in whatever way she could do wound or disarm the Telmarine soldiers. But after hitting one full force on the helmet, the bow shattered in her hands.

"Oh great," Miranda growled.

Grasping her sword in one hand and her knife in the other, she charged in.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Sopespian just sat there, waiting. Then, he turned to two soldiers beside him.

"Bring me one of the humans."

"Yes my lord."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Edmund jumped upon a fallen Telmarine's horse and began shooting arrows from a crossbow. One by one, the Telmarines began falling under the Narnians attack.

But the Telmarines were far from over. Edmund turned his gaze around, and noticed that the soldiers were coming closer. The catapults had increased their attack, and Narnians were falling everywhere. Griffons that had taken to the sky were falling from great arrow attacks. They were not going to last much longer.

Suddenly, Edmund heard Peter shout;

"Back to the Howe!"

Edmund looked over to the riding form of Caspian, and the two nodded their heads. Swiftly, they turned their horses back to the Howe. Edmund suddenly felt a weight against his back. Thinking that it was a Telmarine, he quickly turned to attack. And was looking into the face of Miranda

"Don't scare me like that," he said with a sigh.

All of a sudden, the catapults took a different aim to their attack, and before the Narnians could even get completely inside the Howe, the entrance collapsed.

Edmund dismounted his horse with Miranda and Caspian close behind him. They all watched in horror as Susan dangled from a ledge of the Howe, grasping the hand of Trumpkin.

She let go of the dwarf's hand, and landed safely on another ledge. Then, she jumped down onto another ledge and reached Peter.

As the group of young people rounded together, they knew that the battle was almost over. No one needed to say anything. Giving each other nods and determined faces, the five turned towards the oncoming Telmarines.

"For Aslan!" Peter shouted, and charged back into battle. None hesitated to follow.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Susan hated fighting in battles. It was why she was called Queen Susan the Gentle. But she knew that she needed to fight in this battle, so she did. But how she hated it.

She reached back for another arrow and took careful aim. None of her shots needed to miss. Every Telmarine that she could hit, she needed to hit.

All of a sudden, she felt strong arms lift her off of her feet and begin carrying her off.

"Hey," she shouted, "Put me down now!"

Then, she realized. It was a Telmarine soldier.

She kicked and shoved and tried to free herself, but it only made him hold on tighter. She screamed and shouted, but it did little good over the noises of the battle. Oh, how she hated battles.

Then, quite suddenly, the soldier dropped to the ground, groaning. Susan turned around, only to meet the piercing hazel eyes of the Warrior.

"Thanks," she whispered weakly.

Miranda smiled.

"That's what I'm here for."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda took a glance at the numbers surrounding them. This was not turning out so swell. She plunged her sword into a Telmarine, then threw her knife at another attacking one of the talking mice.

They would not be able to hold them back for much longer; that much she knew.

In truth, she couldn't have worried at all.

Nothing could have prepared her for it. Suddenly, she felt a hard knock at the back of her head, and everything went black.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter had a feeling that something had just gone horrible wrong. Maybe a change in the wind or something like that. But something had gone wrong.

He got back up to the old ruins where he met up with his siblings and Caspian. That's when he realized it.

"Where's Miranda?"

No one could answer that.

"She was just with me," Susan remarked. "But I don't know where she could be."

Edmund gave him a strange look.

"What's wrong Peter?"

"Something's happened," Peter said. "Something bad."

From the other side of the plains, they heard a Telmarine horn blow, then a loud voice shout;

"Narnians, you have fought valiantly! Your efforts are to be commended! But a pointless effort nonetheless! Surrender Caspian to us now, and your lives will be spared!"

No royal ever needed to say no, because the Narnians gave such a loud shout of rage, that the Telmarines stood back a step.

But the loud voice wasn't so easily pertrubed.

"Surrender Caspian to us now, or face the death of another!"

Peter froze. The others cast anxious glances at him. Peter turned to the source of the voice.

"Prove it!" he shouted back.

The Narnians and Telmarines both parted from each other as a man on a dark brown horse stepped forward.

"Lord Sopespian," Caspian murmered.

The Telmarine stopped at the edge of the battle. Peter and the others came forward the rest of the way.

"You wish for me to prove it?"

Peter nodded, not sure he wanted to know anymore.

Lord Sopespian made a motion with his hand, and a soldier stepped forward with a bundle over his shoulder, covered with a black cloak.

The soldier tossed the bundle upon the ground, and Peter heard a groan. The soldier reached out and pulled on the black cloak as a body tumbled out.

Peter gasped.

The still form of Miranda lay on the ground.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**


	15. Deadly Choice

**For safety reasons, this chapter alone will be rated T. It doesn't get bloody or anything like that; but I would like to be safe with this one. Thanks.**

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Deadly Choice**

Caspian felt the anger rise within him as he saw the bruised and broken form of Miranda. The soldier grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her upright.

"Uugh," she groaned.

She was not tied or seriously wounded, which confused Caspian for a second. Until another look at her revealed her arms and legs bleeding badly.

"You beasts!" he shouted at Lord Sopespian, and would have gone charging in if the strong hands of Edmund and Peter had not held him back.

"Calm down Caspian," Edmund said softly. "Attacking will do her no good."

"They've shredded her!" Caspian exclaimed, still pulling away.

"What?" Peter questioned, his eyes wide.

"They've shredded her," Caspian said again, pointing to her arms and legs.

Peter looked up coldly at Sopespian.

"Yes," Sopespian said, no remorse in his voice. "The worst form of torture we have. We dig our swords into the arms and legs of our enemies. That might not be so bad... if the armor was not on. The broken armor then digs into the skin, and causes the wounds to be unable to heal on their own. It also causes the enemies limbs to go numb with pain, and soon, it is unable to even move."

Peter's face went white with rage, and Caspian knew that only the fact that Susan's hand was pressed firmly against his shoulder reminded him that it would be impossible to help her if he attacked.

"Now, High King, you have a choice to make. Either you give us the life of Caspian, or, you face her death."

As the last words left his lips, the soldier pulled a knife out of his belt and held it over Miranda's chest.

Caspian looked to Peter, but Peter's eyes refused to meet his. He only looked at Miranda.

"I'll do it Peter," Caspian whispered.

"No," Edmund protested. "It's for you that we have been fighting this battle. Aslan has chosen you as the next King of Narnia, and it is your responsibility to remain alive to fulfill that duty."

"I won't just let her die like that," Caspian said fervently, looking down at Edmund. "And shouldn't this be my decision?"

"No, it's not your decision," Edmund said, his voice changing. "She knew what she was getting into when she took that oath. Aslan has chosen this path for her, and she has followed as faithfully as she could. Don't destroy that."

Caspian didn't say anything after that. No one did. They all knew that it was Peter's decision. But his eyes never left Miranda's. The two just stared at each other. Only one movement was made, and that was Miranda shaking her head; no.

Then, quite suddenly, Peter shouted.

"No!"

Tears began to stream down his face as he said;

"The answer is no."

Sopespian's face suddenly went pale.

"What?"

That was when a new sound was heard. Laughing.

Miranda was laughing. It was not a bitter laugh or a forced laugh, but it was a laugh of....joy. She was laughing with joy!

"You heard him right Sopespian!" she exclaimed, a broad smile on her face. "He said no; and you have failed! King Caspian still lives, and your bait is useless! He shall sit on the throne as next King of Narnia, under the authority of Aslan! And there is not one thing that you can do against that!"

Sopespian's eyes flashed with merciless anger.

"Kill her."

The soldier raised the knife and plunged.

But it never hit the mark. A sudden flash of brown fur attacked the soldier.

"Reepicheep!" Susan shouted.

Then, suddenly, the battle started again. The Telmarine soldiers began drawing in a tight circle around the Narnians. Caspian immediately had to defend himself against two soldiers.

His eyes glanced around, trying to find Miranda.

"Peter!" he heard Edmund shout. Looking to the younger king, Caspian followed where he was pointing. A soldier had grabbed Miranda and flung her across his horse, carrying her back towards the Telmarine castle.

"What do they want with her?" Peter asked beside Caspian, his voice tired and weak.

"Sopespian wants to kill her personally," Caspian replied. "That's the only explanation for that soldier carrying her off instead of killing her now."

Peter's eyes went wide with fear.

But then, the two had to defend themselves against more Telmarine soldiers. Caspian threw his knife at a Telmarine about to harm Trumpkin, and he fell. Peter hit his shield into the faces of two soldiers, and they went down, unconscious.

Caspian suddenly felt a push on his back, and he turned to two Telmarine soldiers. He tried to defend himself against the swinging swords, but he fell into the trap that the Narnian made. As he pushed himself up, he realized that he had dropped his sword. Turning around, he tried to get up and out before someone saw him.

But someone already had.

A Telmarine soldier picked up a spear and came rushing at him. But, at the last second, he stopped, and Caspian recognized General Glozelle.

He just stood there above Caspian for a moment, not moving. Then suddenly, a large rope seemed to emerge from the earth and wrapped itself around Glozelle's body. The rope pulled hard and hit the general's body against the hard earth. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

Caspian pulled himself up from the hole, and his eyes went wide as he realized that it wasn't a rope that had just saved him. It was a tree root. The trees were coming alive and grabbing Telmarines all over.

Peter, Edmund, and Susan ran up to Caspian's side, and for just a moment, they let the trees do the work.

"Lucy," Peter said in a relieved voice.

"Obviously," Edmund replied.

Then, the four monarchs rounded up the standing Narnians.

"For Narnia!" Peter shouted. "And for Aslan!"

And the Narnians charged behind the trees towards the retreating Telmarines.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

The damaged armor scraped against Miranda's skin every time the horse moved. She tried not to groan or shriek, but it wasn't working so well. They had dug in deep in one place on her leg, and every time she moved, the armor dug deeper. It was even worse on her shoulders. She tried not to let the tears fall, but they did.

The soldier gave no attention to Miranda's groans whatsoever. He only kept his eyes fixed ahead, pushing his horse to its limit.

As they reached the bridge at Beruna, they could just barely make out the sounds of the battle.

"All of your friends will die," he taunted. "Caspian will die too, and your sacrifice will be for nothing. You have failed your Narnians, and your precious Aslan."

At the mention of Aslan, Miranda's mind cleared for just a second. Anger rising within her, she reached down for the saddle's girth and let it loose. Miranda and the soldier suddenly fell off of the running horse.

The soldier picked himself up shouting and threatening. Unsheathing his sword, he walked towards the weak and helpless Miranda. She couldn't even try to stand up and run. Her arms and legs were going completely numb.

"I don't care what Sopespian says," he said with spite. "I'm going to kill you now."

He ran towards her, his sword raised, his eyes full of hate. And Miranda embraced death.

But then, something happened that made Miranda hope again. A root of a tree suddenly shot out of the ground and grabbed the leg of the running Telmarine. He turned and swung his sword, but another root shot out and grabbed it from him.

Desperate now, he turned to look at her, and glee srang across his face.

"You will die! Even if I have to die doing it!"

Then, he lunged and grabbed her leg.

"AAAHHH," Miranda screamed as the armor dug in deeper.

He yanked her towards him; then did something she wasn't counting on.

He pushed her over the bridge. She heard him scream as the roots pulled him away, but she had a bigger problem on her hands right now.

She saw it at the last second, and grasped the wooden planks of the bridge, trying to pull herself back up. Her shoulders were screaming with pain, and her arms were quickly losing strength.

"Come on," she told herself, but it was no use. Her body was too weak.

Miranda could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness, but not before she heard the undeniable sound of a lion's roar.

"Aslan."

Then, she let go.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter could feel the ground beneath them shaking as they chased the Telmarines to the river. The trees were doing their work well.

They ran until they came to the river, where the Telmarines were pushing their way across. Some went straight into the river as the Telmarines on the bridge were getting across.

Then, they abruptly stopped.

Peter squinted his eyes, and saw the small form of Lucy on the other side of the bridge, dagger at hand, with a golden lion by her side.

_"Aslan."_

Seeing just what it was they were up against, the Telmarines spurned their horses faster, getting ready for an attack. Lord Sopespian was in the lead.

When the Telmarines reached the middle, the golden lion opened his mouth, and Peter covered his ears.

The great lion roared, and it was a roar that had not been heard in Narnia for years. The river rippled as the force of the roar reached it. And the river slowly began to move.

Peter felt a smile crawl upon his face. The river god was awakening.

A great wave suddenly emerged from one side of the river, then stood up to its full form. It took the shape of a great man, and attacked the bridge that was chaining his river. The bridge cracked, then shattered as the river god picked it up. Only one single Telmarine stood upon the bridge now. Lord Sopespian.

The river god opened its great mouth, and Peter turned away. He knew what was happening, and honestly thought that he had seen enough death that day.

It took no time at all for the other Telmarines to see that they were defeated. They surrendered their weapons and were rounded up into groups.

Peter, followed closely by Caspian, Susan, and Edmund, waded to the other side of the river; towards Aslan.

Peter didn't meet Aslan's gaze for a moment. He was too ashamed. But he could feel Aslan's eyes looking at him, and he looked into the great golden eyes.

They held some sadness, but also light, and joy. And Peter knew that he had been forgiven.

He bowed before the great lion, as did the others.

"Rise Kings and Queens of Narnia."

Peter rose, followed by Edmund and Susan. But Caspian remained where he was.

"All of you," Aslan said softly.

Caspian's eyes gazed up at the great lion.

"I don't think that I am ready," he said shakily.

"It is for that very reason that I know you are," Aslan replied.

Caspian got up to his feet, a relaxed smile on his face. But before anything else could be said or done, a group of mice stepped forward, holding a stretcher. And on the stretcher was the brave and noble Reepicheep.

Lucy immediately stepped forward and poured a drop of her cordial into his mouth. It took only a few seconds to take effect, and the captain of the mice stood up.

"Oh," he said surprised. "Great Aslan. It is an honor to..."

At that he stopped, because as he bowed before the lion, he suddenly lost balance, and realized in horror that he had no tail.

"Oh my!" Reepicheep exclaimed, covering his stub with his hands. "Forgive me for arriving in such an embarassing fashion."

Looking up to Lucy, he asked;

"Um, perhaps a drop more?"

"I don't think it does that," Lucy said in a sorrowful tone.

"Well then," Reepicheep said in a dutiful voice, "Then I must renounce my position as Captain of my people."

"And why must you do that?" Aslan asked.

"Well sire, because of...." he then pointed to his stub. "And a tail is the honor and glory of a mouse."

"Perhaps you think to much of your honor," Aslan replied.

"Well, it's not just for honor," Reepicheep protested, then began making a list of good things that a tail did for a mouse, when another mouse suddenly stepped forward.

"If it may please your honor, that we may cut off our own tails. We will not take an honor that is forbidden to our Captain."

Peter's heart went out to the loyal mice who loved their leader so well.

"Not for the sake of your honor, but for the love of your people," Aslan whispered.

Peter heard Caspian gasp beside him as the tail of Reepicheep was restored.

"Oh, thank you sire," Reepicheep exclaimed. "I will treasure it always."

That started everyone in a moment of laughter.

"And now," Aslan said, addressing Lucy, "Where is this dear little friend that I have heard so much about?"

That was when they noticed that Trumpkin had been watching them out of the corner of his eye the whole time. At the mention of what they had nicknamed him, Trumpkin took three steps forward and knelt before Aslan. Peter could see his arms and legs visibly trembling.

Aslan suddenly roared, and they all jumped back in surprise.

When the sound ended, Lucy smiled and said;

"Now do you see him?"

Trumkin's eyes looked at her with relief and apology.

Lucy then looked proudly from one of the group to the other. But then, her eyes took on a worried expression.

"Where's Miranda?"

Peter felt his heart gave a great twist, and he was surprised that he didn't shout from the pain it gave him.

"Where's Miranda?" Lucy repeated, her voice becoming frantic.

"We don't know Lu," Peter replied. The pain within him was growing. If she had died....

Suddenly, Aslan roared again, and this time, the sound knocked them off of their feet.

A dryad on the other side of the river came forward, grasping hold of a dark body. When the dryad reached them, it bowed before the great lion, then dropped what it was holding at Aslan's feet.

It was a Telmarine soldier.

He looked sround him for a moment with wide and crazed eyes. Then his eyes came to Peter, and a malicious grin covered his features.

"Where is she?" Aslan growled at the soldier. The soldier's eyes darted towards the lion, and went wider, like a bug's.

"Where is she?" Aslan growled again.

The soldier stood up, and trying to make himself look tall and great, he said;

"In the river."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Caspian's mind went blank as he heard the words. He grasped his sword and stepped towards the soldier. But Edmund's hand held him back. Susan was holding back Peter, who looked as if someone had stabbed him in the stomach.

"No!" Peter shouted like a madman. "No!"

Then, he dropped to the ground and wept like a child. Susan bent down and put her arms around his shoulders, tears running down her own face. Caspian's face darted down to Edmund's. He wasn't even trying to fight the tears. Lucy came forward and hugged her brother, sobbing.

_"She died because of me."_ Caspian thought, remembering the words of the prophecy.

That was when he cried too. Because she had died in his place.

Aslan, who had giant lion tears running down his golden cheeks, stepped towards the river and breathed upon it.

It began to take form again, and the river god stood up, bowing before Aslan. He held out his big, wet hands in a cup. Slowly, carefully, he set his hands upon the shore of the river, revealing something within it.

The water slowly fell away, and the still form of Miranda lay within it.

They all immediately stood up and crowded around her lifeless form. Caspian thought that no Narnian could have looked so noble in death.

Suddenly, Edmund gave a great cry;

"She's still breathing."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter grabbed Miranda's wrist, and sure enough, there was a pulse. She was still alive.

Lucy looked worriedly at Miranda's wounds.

"I can't heal that."

"What do you mean?" Caspian questioned.

"I mean that if I give her a drop of the cordial, the skin will heal but the armor won't come out. And to try and pull the armor off is too dangerous. We would only make the wounds worse. The only way to do this is to get her to a tent and take the armor off slowly."

"That'll take too long," Edmund protested. "She has had these wounds for too long and she has been submerged in water for no one knows how long. If we don't do something soon....," Edmund's voice trailed off.

"You're right Ed," Peter said solemnly. "But there is nothing we can do."

_"Nothing we can do."_

Peter couldn't bear the thought of not being able to help his best friend; to not be able to help the one that had given her all to Narnia. And her friendship to him.

At that moment, Aslan appeared beside him, and bent his great head towards Miranda's face. He took a deep breath and breathed upon her.

They all gasped as the damages to her armor were suddenly mended. Lucy immediately put a drop of the cordial in Miranda's mouth.

Miranda coughed once, then twice, then opened her eyes.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

The first thing that Miranda said when she returned to consciousness was;

"Thank goodness you're all alright."

"Us?!" Edmund exclaimed incredulously. "We've been waiting...." at this point, he pretended to look at a clock, "I don't know how long to make sure you were alright!"

"Oh," was Miranda's reply, which started almost everyone in fit of laughter; all except Caspian. He was looking at her like he couldn't even believe that she was still here. It was in that instance that he pulled her into a fierce hug.

Miranda was surprised for a moment, until she felt his shoulders shaking.

"I'm alright Caspian. I'm alright."

"You were willing to die in my place," he said in wonder. "You were willing to do that, for a person that you barely knew."

"Not just anyone," Miranda replied. "My king."

She was then attacked by a dual hug from Lucy and Susan, both of them laughing with joy. Edmund waited patiently for his sisters to finish before he helped her up from the ground and pulled her into a hug for himself.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," he whispered to her.

"You said that before," Miranda replied softly.

"I know. You still need to quit scaring me."

Miranda gave a little chuckle. She then turned to Peter; her best friend.

"I thought that you were dead," he whispered, hugging her softly, as if she were a piece of glass.

"I was for a moment Peter. But I was ready for it."

The two friends parted, and that was when Miranda saw her heart's true desire. The great golden lion; Aslan.

Miranda walked towards her greatest King and knelt before him.

Aslan stepped forward, and gave her a warm kiss on the forehead.

"Embrace me child."

Miranda did just that, and wrapped her arms around the head of the one who knew everything about her.

"And may I welcome you personally to the family."

Tears of joy stung Miranda's eyes.

"Thank you Aslan. Thank you Jesus."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**


	16. Memories and a Coronation

**Memories and a Coronation**

It was early evening when the six young people grouped together. They had all changed out of their armor into some new clothing, and had all gotten a warm meal in their bellies.

Now, all six of them sat in a round circle around a blazing fire, relaying adventures and putting missing pieces together.

After all stories were told and adventures understood, Caspian looked in wonder at the group around him. To his right was King Peter, golden hair and blue eyes shining, and he looked truly happy for the first time. Miranda was beside him, looking relaxed and calm, something she had yet to be since he met her. Edmund followed, with wide brown eyes and dark hair, laughing at a joke his sister made. Lucy was next, her heart showing in her face, full of wonder and joy. Susan was last, tired but with much gladness within her.

They had come so close to dying that day. Every one of them.

Peter had almost been killed by Miraz. Susan had nearly been taken by a Telmarine soldier. Edmund had run headlong into battle time after time. Lucy had almost not made it to Aslan because of soldiers chasing her. Miranda had been tortured and nearly killed. Caspian himself had almost died at the hand of General Glozelle.

But they all sat there, together, as a family; almost as if the events that day had never happened. They laughed and they joked, and for the first time in a long while, Caspian acted like a kid.

Then, Lucy surprised everyone by pulling something from a bag by her side.

"Why!" Edmund exclaimed. "By the mane! Isn't that Mr. Tumnus' flute."

The other's sat up a little straighter and pulled a little closer.

"Yes," Lucy whispered fondly. "I found it among my things at Cair Paravel."

She then handed the flute to Miranda. Miranda looked surprised for a moment, then slowly took the precious flute.

"Do you remember Miranda?"

"How could I even try to forget? It was a flute that I first picked up in Narnia."

"Play something Miranda. Please," Lucy begged.

Miranda gave a loud laugh.

"Command me Valiant Queen. I am at your service."

Lucy looked up at the Narnian stars for a moment before answering.

"Play the lullaby."

Miranda put the flute to her lips, and began to play a mysterious, magical song. Caspian suddenly felt a soft warmth grow in him. As the song wove it's spell, he felt a small poke at his arm, and turned to Susan, who was pointing at the fire.

Caspian's eyes went wide. Within the dancing flames was a great battle. A storm of swords and armor. A tall woman took shape, and the flames gave off a slight chill. A great wand was in her hand, and she began extinguishing flames. Suddenly, another flame figure stepped forward. It was much smaller than the woman, but within seconds, it broke the great wand she held. The woman flame cast an arm towards the smaller flame, and it fell to the floor wounded. Two more flames suddenly took shape. One ran towards the tall woman, a sword raised. The other stooped at the fallen flame, small orange flickers running down it's face. The second flame then stood up and charged the great tall one. The tall woman turned and wounded the two weaker flames. But it was not yet over. All at once, the biggest flame suddenly erupted and extinguished the tall woman.

With that, the song ended, and the flames went back to being fire once more. Miranda took the flute from her lips and began panting.

"It has never done that before," Miranda said in between deep breaths. "I've never had the flames dance for me before."

"You were thinking of the battle," Peter said thoughtfully. "The first battle we ever fought."

"Yes," Miranda breathed out, still catching her breath. "I think about it after every battle."

"You mean..." Caspian began, "That was the Battle at Beruna? That was the battle against the White Witch?"

"Yes, it most certainly was," Miranda replied.

"I recognized the White Witch. And the smaller flame; that was you," Caspian said, pointing to Edmund.

Edmund nodded.

"But, who were the other two flames?"

The group was silent for a moment, memories filling them.

"The one that attacked the White Witch was me," Peter finally said. "The other was Miranda."

No one said anything for a moment. But truthfully, no one needed to.

And then, as if a jolt started them, they began to tell the story of how their adventures first began. Caspian, of course, had heard the story before. But it is one thing to hear it as a story, and a different other to hear it as another person's life.

Caspian laughed as Lucy told of her first meeting with Mr. Tumnus. He felt cold as Edmund told of the White Witch and his betrayal. He watched with animated eyes as they told him of how they met the beaver's and their journey with them. His eyes studied Miranda as she told him of first coming into Narnia, and being found by the fox, Hunta. He felt excitement as both she and Edmund told him of the escape from the White Witch, and couldn't help the chuckle that erupted when they told him of collapsing the tent.

Tears ran down his cheeks as Lucy and Susan told him of the White Witch's meeting with Aslan, Miranda's offer, and the killing of Aslan upon the Stone Table. Then, Peter gravely told him of the Battle at Beruna, and how finally, the Witch was defeated.

"There is one thing that I still don't understand," Caspian said. "If you loved Narnia and the people within it so much; why did you leave?"

"It was all rather strange," Susan replied. "We were hunting the White Stag."

"Boy, was that thing crafty," Edmund put in.

"And then, we saw the lamp post again," Lucy continued on from what Susan had said. "But we couldn't remember why we recognized it. I suddenly remembered something about somewhere else, and I ran into the thicket."

"The rest of us followed her," Peter said. "And that was when Aslan decided our time was up. We ended up tumbling back out into our world on the other side of the wardrobe."

"Wait a minute," Lucy suddenly said. "What happened to Miranda then?"

All eyes turned to Miranda, and she let out a soft sigh.

"It was perhaps an hour or so after you disappeared that word got to us. All the Narnians went into a panic, and began to assemble search parties looking for you. But I didn't."

"You didn't?" Peter questioned.

"No. There was no sign given, no word sent sooner. I knew what had happened. So I went to the Stone Table, found Aslan, and he sent me back home."

Finally, at long last, the story was truly finished; and never in all Narnian years was it ever told that way again. Caspian kept this night and these memories within his heart, so that they would truly never be forgotten.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

The next morning shone bright and full of life. Narnians combed their fur and put on shiny new armor. The Kings and Queens put on beautiful Narnian clothes, and Caspian put on robes fit for a Narnian King.

All gathered around the figure of a great golden lion, who outshone all of them; and even the sun itself. At his paws was a golden crown. Peter and Edmund stood at the lion's right side, while Susan and Lucy stood at his left.

At a nod from Aslan, Caspian stepped forward. High King Peter took up the crown as Aslan kissed Caspian's forehead. Then, the crown was placed on King Caspian's head as Aslan announced.

"Narnians! Behold, a true King of Narnia!"

The talking animals chirped and barked and bayed. The Centaurs reared and shouted with joy. Fauns and satyrs danced in circles, and naiads and dryads cried out blessings in their languages.

Throughout all this fuss, Caspian put his arms around the great lion's head. Then, standing up, he turned to the Narnians, a bright smile upon his face. And the Kings and Queens from the Golden Age of Narnia thought that a better person could not have been chosen.

They mounted upon great horses and pranced toward the Telmarine castle. People lined the streets, throwing flowers upon the happy procession. Caspian walked in front with Aslan walking beside him. Peter and Susan followed, with Lucy and Edmund behind them.

Caspian turned his head to those following him, all with smiling faces and happy hearts. But the sight that made Caspian's breath catch in his throat was something that he had thought near impossible. And it was the sight of Miranda riding Glenstorm, both with laughs on their faces.

Oh, yes. It had turned out pretty alright after all.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**I know that it's a little short. Hope you guys didn't mind.**


	17. Goodbye to Narnia

**A great thanks to Queen Su, my very good friend, for all the reviews and extra. And thanks to hisanachan for reviewing the last chapters. And if anyone else is reading this, PLEASE REVIEW.**

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Good-bye to Narnia**

Caspian raced down a short flight of stairs, turning his head first left, then right. He was now dressed in olive green and brown clothing.

_"Where are they?"_ He thought.

He had been searching for a good while when he finally found the four he had been looking for.

Aslan walked slowly with Susan on one side and Miranda and Peter on the other. The two siblings were dressed in royal clothes of blue, and the warrior was wearing a rust colored shirt with a dusty brown jerkin. Aslan's mouth was moving, and Caspian had a feeling that this was a bad time to interupt. He turned around preparing to leave, when he heard;

"Your majesty?"

He turned back to Aslan, and he had a feeling that something had just happened. Susan's eyes were sad and her head was heavy. And both Peter and Miranda looked older and taller for some reason.

"We are ready. Everyone has assembled," Caspian said.

Aslan nodded his head, yet continued walking with the three. Caspian left them to that, knowing that Aslan would come in his own time.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

It was perhaps the worst news Peter could have imagined. But surpisingly, he didn't quite feel that way. He felt as if he had come to the end of a great journey, and was just sad that it was over.

His eyes turned to his sister, and he was surprised with what he saw. Her face was trying not to cry; trying to be strong. He had always known Susan to be the most practical and strongly minded. But she looked as if she had been crushed with a stone.

"It's time you lived in your own world," Aslan continued. "In that world, you must come to know be by a new name."

Aslan's face turned towards Miranda.

"As one of you already has."

Peter's face turned to Miranda's. Her hazel eyes were shining bright, and a soft glow seemed to surround her.

"You have found his name already?" Peter asked.

"I have."

"What is it?" Susan said, a strength in her voice he had not heard in a long time.

Miranda didn't answer at first. Instead, she looked into Aslan's eyes. Seeing something there that only she could understand, she said;

"It is a name that you have to come to know on your own. As much as I would like to tell you, the journey is for you to make alone. I cannot interfere with that."

Peter let out a soft laugh.

"You're beginning to sound like you used to when Narnia was in its Golden Age."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Miranda teased.

Peter laughed and Susan smiled; but more wonderful than that was the sound of Aslan's beautiful golden laugh. A sound that made mountains fall down and seas roar.

"Now," Aslan said as the last notes of his laugh died away, "Let us go to the others."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Caspian stood at the center of a lifted daise, his back to a great tree, watching the eyes of the crowd closely. He only stopped for a moment when he noticed movement on his right. He turned to the approaching forms of Aslan and the others. He let a relieved smile cross his face as they drew close. Peter and Susan went to Caspian's left, standing with their brother and sister. Aslan stood next to Caspian's right, and Miranda stood with Glenstorm, Trumpkin, Reepicheep, and Professor Cornelius.

Caspian turned to Aslan, and Aslan gave a nod of his head. It was time.

Caspian turned back to the crowd.

"Narnia belongs to the Narnians just as it belongs to man. Any Telmarines who wish to stay are welcome to. If not, Aslan will return you to the land of our forefathers."

"It has been generations since we left Telmar," a man shouted.

"We are not referring to Telmar," Aslan said. "Your ancestors were once seafaring brigands. Pirates run aground upon an island. There they found a cave, a rare chasm that led them from that world to this. The same world as our Kings and Queens."

The people began murmuring amongst themselves and pointed at the four young monarchs.

"It is that island I can return you to. It is a good place for anyone who wish to make a new start," Aslan continued.

The crowd looked at each other with shifting eyes, until one voice shouted;

"I will go."

Caspian's eyes searched the crowds to find the source of the voice.

"I will accept the offer," the voice said again, stepping forward. It was Glozelle!

Caspian gave a slight bow of respect towards the general. Glozelle nodded back.

"So will we," a feminine voice said, and Prunaprismia stepped forward, holding her child closely in her arms, guided by her father.

"Since you were first to speak, your future in that land will be a good one," Aslan whispered to them. Then, opening his great mouth, he breathed upon them.

Suddenly, from behind Caspian, the great tree began to slowly twist itself around. It creaked and groaned until it revealed a small arch; just large enough for a person to walk through.

Glozelle, Prunaprismia, and her father, walked slowly towards the arch. Almost as soon as they went under the arch, they disappeared.

The crowd now murmered in fright and doubt.

"How do we know that he is not leading us to our death?" a voice shouted.

"If my example can be of any help," Reepicheep exclaimed, "I will take eleven mice through with no delay."

Aslan didn't say anything to Reepicheep, but smiled in the direction of the four.

_"No," _Caspian thought. _"Not now. Not when I can still learn so much from them."_

"We'll go," said Peter, stepping forward. Caspian's hopes shattered.

"We will?" Edmund questioned.

"Come on," Peter continued. "Our time's up."

Peter stepped towards Caspian, making a movement with his right hand.

"After all, we're not really needed here anymore."

Then, to Caspian's surprise, the High King handed him his sword.

Caspian hesitated. This was the great Rhindon, the sword of the High King. Caspian's eyes searched Peter's, looking for some hisitation. But found none.

Caspian reached for the sword.

"I will look after it until you return," he promised solemnly.

Peter gave him a sad smile and gave a slow shake of his head.

"I'm afraid that's just it," Susan said behind Peter. "We're not coming back."

Caspian's gaze went from Susan back to Peter, then to Lucy and Edmund.

"We're not?" Lucy asked worriedly.

"You are," Peter assured her. Then, looking to Aslan, he said, "At least, I think he means

you to."

"But why?" Lucy asked. "Did they do something wrong?"

Caspian looked to Aslan.

"Quite the opposite dear one. But your brother and sister have learned all they can from this world. Now it is time for them to live in their own."

"Miranda," Edmund quickly voiced, "Surely you will come back to Narnia again."

_"Yes,"_ Caspian thought. _"Surely the warrior will be allowed to return."_

But the look on Miranda's face told him that she would not. She didn't say a word, but instead, drew her sword and knelt at Aslan's feet, the hilt of the sword facing him. Aslan put his paw upon the sword. Suddenly, the silver blade began to rust and the golden hilt began to darken. The ruby embeded in the hilt disappeared, and the sword shortened in length. Then, without a warning, the entire sword disintegrated, leaving nothing but dust and ashes in a pile in front of Miranda.

All of them looked in shock at Aslan, but Aslan did not return their gazes. Instead, he kissed Miranda on her forehead and whispered something in her ear. Miranda nodded her head, and Caspian saw a tear slide down her cheek.

Miranda stood up and faced Caspian and her past kings and queens.

"It is time for the first warrior of Narnia to step down," she said, her voice quiet. "My time here in Narnia is finished. I can do nothing more for this land. But before I leave again, I must choose another to take my place as Narnia's warrior."

She turned to the Narnian beasts standing beside her.

"My thanks goes to you, dear Reepicheep," she said to the talking mouse. "I owe you my life. For it was your courage that kept a knife from finding its prey on the battle field. I would choose you as the next warrior. But..." she said with a sly smile, "I think that we both know that it is not your wish. Your wish lies beyond the eastern sea, and so it will remain."

Reepicheep, who had become a little tense, now made a chivalrous bow to Miranda.

"My thanks to you warrior," he said in a relieved voice.

Miranda laughed, then her eyes found Glenstorm.

"Glenstorm," she began, "Our relationship has been bumpy, and our anger has gotten the better of us at times. But you are the only person whom I would trust with this great weight."

"Warrior!" Glenstorm started.

"Your life, love, and loyalty, belongs to Narnia, its people, and its king. You are strong and brave, and wise enough to choose whom will become the warrior after you pass on. I give this burden, and this gift, to you Glenstorm."

Glenstorm seemed shocked for a moment, but quickly recovered.

"I will do the best that I can for Narnia."

"And that is all I expect," Miranda replied.

"But..." Lucy began, looking at Peter in confusion.

"It's alright Lu," Peter said. "It's not what I'd thought it would be. But that's alright. One day you will see too."

Caspian watched in silence and sadness as one after another, the kings and queens of the Golden age said their good-byes to the Narnians that they had become such good friends with. It was especially hard to watch as Lucy and Trumpkin shared a hug.

After the Narnians, they came with tight hugs and promises for Miranda. They had left without saying good-bye the first time. They weren't going to allow that to happen again.

Then, one by one, they said good-bye to Caspian.

"Take good care of Narnia," Edmund said, shaking his hand.

"No problem there," Caspian said, smiling. "And thank you."

"No problem there," Edmund stated, a grin on his face.

Lucy came next.

"Thank you for calling us back," she said softly. "It meant more to us than you can realize."

"I am glad I did," Caspian replied.

Then, quite suddenly, Lucy came up and gave him a tight hug. Caspian was surprised, but happy nonetheless. It felt good.

Susan stepped forward.

"I'm glad I came back."

"I believe that all Narnia was glad."

Susan looked like she wanted to say something more, but decided against it.

And once more, Peter stepped forward.

"Thank you for helping me reclaim my throne," Caspian said, everything inside him feeling only honor and respect for Peter.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to be a king again. And for reminding me that I was here to help you in the first place."

Caspian nodded his head with a smile.

Peter turned to his siblings. Then, they all turned to Aslan.

Aslan gave a nod of his great head. Then, one by one, they went through the arch in the tree, disappearing from his sight. Peter and Susan; he would never see them again.

Caspian hid the tears that threatened to run down his cheeks. There was still one more.

Miranda turned to those beside her. She shook hands with the professor and Trumpkin. Trufflehunter came up with a hug for her. Reepicheep was content with a bow from each side. Glenstorm looked down upon her with a strange look, then he bent down to her level, and gave her a small hug. It wasn't long or tight, but it was enough for her; and for Caspian.

Finally, Miranda turned to him.

"I wish that I could have stayed longer to fulfill the greater part of my oath."

"What greater part? You risked your life for me. You were willing to die to save my life. What else could you have done?" he asked in a mock annoyed tone.

"You'd be surprised," Miranda said.

Caspian looked closely at the warrior, not wanting to forget her.

"It's going to be fixed."

"What?" Miranda asked surprised.

"The pictures and paintings in Aslan's Howe. The ones of you looking like a man with short hair. I'm going to have them fixed."

"You don't...." she started to protest.

"History messed up once with the warrior. I'm not going to have it messed up again."

Miranda had no answer for that.

Suddenly, Caspian couldn't hold it in any longer. He pulled Miranda into a fierce hug, giving way to the emotions inside him. He cried. He cried until his shoulders shook. But Miranda didn't move.

"Normally, I wouldn't be dealing with this as a warrior," she said in a soft voice.

"I can't do this," Caspian whispered. "I'm not ready to be king. Without any of them to guide me...."

"Aslan would not put you in the position as king unless you were ready... my king."

Caspian still didn't let go.

"Uumm, Caspian...."

"Sorry," Caspian exclaimed, letting her go. He quickly wiped the tears off of his face.

"Susan would have been better at this," Miranda said, laughing.

Caspian gave a little chuckle.

"Thanks Miranda. For everything."

"No thanks needed."

Miranda turned around, then Caspian remembered.

"Wait."

Miranda turned to him.

"I found this. Maybe you can return it to its rightful owner."

He handed her something wrapped in white cloth, and Miranda placed it in her belt.

"I'll see what I can do," she said with a smile.

Then, with a straightening of her back and a nod of her head, she walked through the arch.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda turned her head to the place where Narnia had been just moments ago. But nothing was there. Just a park filled with green trees.

A golden light suddenly erupted from the corner of her eye and she turned her head.

"Aslan!" she exclaimed, running once more into the golden paws of the Great Lion.

Aslan pulled her close and licked her forehead.

"One year," he whispered. "This gift I give to you."

Miranda felt a weight upon her neck, and looked down to see the miniature of Alanosa dangling from its leather string.

"Thank you Aslan."

"Now, dear one, go home. And remember."

"I will," Miranda promised.

With a great light, Aslan disappeared, leaving Miranda once more alone. Tears began running down her cheeks as she felt the energy once more drain her and watched her body become thin and pale again.

_"No more of this again,"_ she thought to herself.

Her eyes went down to the bundle that Caspian had given her. Curious, she opened it.

"No," she laughed out. For within the bundle was Edmund's torch.

"Looks like I'll have to find them after all," she laughed.

Suddenly, Miranda felt her heart give a great pain.

Worried, Miranda turned to go back home. As she walked across the street, she felt the pain again. She opened the door to the house.

"Miranda, is that you?"

"Yes Mom," Miranda replied smiling.

Suddenly, she felt the pain again.

"Mom," Miranda said in a weak voice.

The pain came once more, like a slash across her chest. And everything went black.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**


	18. New Beginnings

**New Beginnings**

Lynn looked up as she heard a door at the end of the corridor shut, and saw the doctor come down the hospital hall towards her. She immediately hopped out of her chair.

"Anything?" she asked.

"Mrs. Kellen," Dr. Alex Roberts began, "There is nothing more that I can do for Miranda. This disease,.. this heart problem,... it's something that I can't fix. She is finally responding, but Mrs. Kellen, if this continues to go on, I'm afraid that there will be no hope for her recovery."

"You mean..." Lynn looked up at the doctor fearfully.

"If something isn't done soon... she's not going to make it."

Lynn could feel the tears begin pouring down her cheeks.

_"Why Miranda dear Lord? Why her?"_

"The only thing else that I can do is recommend you to another doctor."

Lynn didn't care if it took twenty doctors. Just... to help her daughter..

"Who?"

"Dr. Rodney Johnson. He is a professional cardiologist. Well known throughout our hospital. But unfortunately, he was sent as a medical doctor in the war."

"Then how does that help us?" Lynn questioned stonily.

"If you can find some way to get to England..."

"England? We hardly have enough money to pay the bills on the small house we live in. We can't pay our way to England."

"Please Mrs. Kellen. Just hear me out."

Lynn, shoulders shaking and knees trembling, nodded her head and sat back down.

"If you can sell your house, sell some of the furniture that isn't needed, jewelry, books, anything. Whatever else you need, this hospital will provide. We would simply be transporting your daughter from one doctor to another. From one hospital to another. It just so happens that these doctors and hospitals are across an ocean."

His slight stab at some humor in the dark light brought a small smile to Lynn's face. Goodness knows she needed some hope and laughter right now.

"Is he the only person you can recommend?" Lynn asked, just to be sure.

"I'm afraid so. There are many other cardiologists out there, but he is the only one I believe can help you, and the only one that I truly trust."

Lynn nodded her head. This was going to be a big step. She would have to call up friends, family, and the church for as much help as she could get. But she was not going to lose her daughter without a fight.

"I would appreciate if you would call Dr. Johnson and let him know that he is going to have a new patient."

Dr. Alex gave a relieved smile.

"I'll be sure to do that."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Miranda's hand clenched around the sword necklace in her hand. Thank goodness they hadn't taken it from her. She didn't know how she would have explained it to her mom. Slowly, she placed the necklace back inside her hospital clothes, relishing in the feel of the leather against her neck.

She heard the door to her room being opened and quickly put her hand to her side, away from her neck. Her mother entered the room.

"Hey hon. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling a little fuzzy, and my chest hurts a bit. But besides that, I think that I'm okay."

"The doctor says that you should stay here for a few days just to be sure that everything goes alright. Then... you should be able to come home."

Miranda nodded her head, but sensed something else.

"What's wrong mom?"

Her mother's head snapped to look at her. Miranda inwardly cringed. She needed to find a more subtle way to do this.

"The doctor says that we need to get you to another doctor. Dr. Johnson... in England."

"England?" Miranda sat up as she spoke.

"Yes Miranda, now lie back down."

Miranda conceded to do what she was asked.

"It's the only hope that Dr. Alex has. He's done all he could. I'll sell the house, sell what furniture I can, call up some friends and family, then we'll see where we are."

Miranda wanted to argue, wanted to say something, but the hope in her mother's eyes, the look of love shining in her face, made her stop.

"Okay mom," Miranda said, feeling groggy now.

Her mother smiled.

"I'll let you sleep now hon."

As her mother closed the door to the hospital room, Miranda turned over and relaxed. Within seconds, she was asleep. But not before promising herself that she wouldn't let her mom know.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**a month later**

Lynn grasped onto the airplane seat as it lurched in the sky. What she wouldn't give to be back on the ground.

She looked over to the sleeping form of her daughter. Her pale face for once looked relaxed and calm, and she could hear her steady breathing. How Miranda could sleep through all of this, she would never know.

It had now been over a month since she had told Miranda of going to England. To think that right now they were on a plane going there was almost too much for Lynn to handle.

It had taken selling much of their stuff and calling up lots of people to financially help, but thankfully, it had all paid off.

She glanced again at Miranda. Miranda stirred a bit to find a more comfortable position, then was still again.

What had gotten into her this last year? She never used to be this relaxed or contained. Lynn never remembered her being quite as subdued to treatments as she had been in this last year. That was one thing about her that had been uncontrollable before. Her independence and wanting to do things on her own. What had happened?

She finally decided that it must be her newfound faith in God. Yes, surely that must be it.

But something in the past month had changed. Lynn wasn't quite sure what it was, but she was quite determined to find out.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

_"Peter! Get away from here!"_

_Peter tried to move. His legs felt like glue, and his vision was fuzzy. He turned his head to find the source of the voice._

_"Who are you?" he shouted._

_"Peter! Get away Peter! Hurry! Please!"_

_Peter swung his body around, recognizing that voice._

_"Miranda? Miranda, what's wrong? What's going on?"_

_"Peter!" the voice shouted again._

_Peter turned his head once more, and gasped._

_Miranda stood there with her sword in one hand and her knife in the other. She panted from exhaustion, and sweat poured down her face._

_"Miranda," he shouted._

_"Peter, look out!"_

_Peter swiveled back around; and faced the icy blue eyes of his worst nightmare._

_The White Witch smiled, a knife in her hand. Peter tried to run, but he couldn't. Jadis began to chuckle as she raised her weapon._

_"No!" _

_Peter suddenly felt a shove, and he was thrown to the ground. Giving his head a shake, he turned to see Miranda and Jadis in heated combat._

_"I won't let you harm them!" Miranda shouted._

_"That's not for you to decide anymore," the White Witch laughed. "You are weak and unable to protect them."_

_"No!" Miranda cried out. "You won't succeed!"_

_"I already have!" Jadis screeched out. Then, out of nowhere, her wand appeared in her hand, and she pointed it at Miranda._

_And a blue light flashed from the wand._

_"Miranda!"_

Peter sat straight up, cold sweat on his forehead.

"Miranda," he whispered, placing a hand on his forehead. His breath was rapid and it felt like his heart was thumping out of his chest.

"Just a dream," he told himself, "It was just a dream."

Breathing slowly to calm down his racing heart, Peter lay back down again.

"Just a dream," he whispered again. But deep down, he wondered if it really was.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Lynn quickly thanked the cab driver and paid the fare. Then, smiling at her daughter beside her, she walked up and unlocked the door of their new apartment.

Upon a quick look of the place revealed that it was small, but clean, and had enough space for the two of them. And thank goodness for the fact that it was already furnished.

"Well," Lynn began, "The first thing to do is..."

"Unpack." Miranda finished.

"How did you know that?" Lynn asked playfully.

"Call it "I've been living with my mother too long"," Miranda teased back.

Lynn gave her daughter a quick wink. For the first time in a long while, she felt that everything was going to be just fine.

The two young women began to slowly but steadily unpack their things. At about 6:00, they both decided that it was time to eat, even though their bodies told them that it was only a little bit after lunch.

"Anything you want in particular Miranda?" Lynn asked.

"Old-fashioned PB and J's sound good to me."

"Good," Lynn said, "Cause that's what we got."

Miranda and Lynn began laughing.

"Okay, I'll go make them," Lynn said, still smiling.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

As soon as her mom stepped out of the room, Miranda quickly took out the one thing that she had had to stow away in the packing. Silently, Miranda took the bundle and hurried to her new room. She immediately put the bundle underneath her bed. Then, a new thought coming to her, she untied her necklace and placed it on top of the bundle.

Now, anything that was connected to Narnia was with her, but hidden.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Sorry about the wait. This chapter was a lot harder for me to think up and write. And I hope that it wasn't too forward.**

**Okay; I know that more than three people have put this story on their alert list or on their favorites. But only three people have been faithfully reviewing. PLEASE FOLLOW THIS EXAMPLE AND REVIEW!!!**

**Thanks to Queen Su, hisanachan, and thecurseofcurves for the reviews.**


	19. Reunited

**Reunited**

The hospital walls were white as ghosts. She could hear the steady beating of the monitor beside her. She could slowly feel her chest going up and down.

Miranda looked up to her mother's sad eyes. She could barely keep her own eyes open, let alone entirely register what had happened. But she did know one thing.

"Go on mom," she whispered. "You need this."

"Dear, I'm not leaving you here at the hospital alone."

"Mom," she continued, "I'm safer hear than anywhere else. You are exhausted, and what you need is a spiritual renewal. Mom, you need to go."

"Honey..."

"Mom, please. Do this for me. Please."

Her mother first looked down, then her gaze came back to meet her eyes.

"Then I'll go."

And Miranda smiled the first real smile that she had given in days.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Helen Pevensie had been in this church long enough to know every face. But this one was new.

Helen's eyes carefully watched a blonde haired lady with blue eyes as they sang and worshiped. Her eyes were closed as she sang the songs by heart, and Helen noticed a tear run down her cheek. Through the sermon, Helen didn't glance at the lady, her entire focus on the message. But when the reverend asked if anyone would like to pray with him, the lady stepped out of the aisle and went to him. He listened to her, and was nodding his head every few minutes. Then the two bowed their heads and prayed. The lady's shoulders were shaking.

After church was dismissed, the reverend came up to Helen.

"If I might have a word Mrs. Pevensie."

"Of course reverend."

The two walked a little to the side for privacy.

The reverend seemed a little agitated, and hesitated before speaking.

"You may have noticed a newer lady in our church. I prayed with her during the message."

"Yes reverend, I did."

"Good. Her name is Mrs. Lynn Kellen," he said. Then hesitated again.

"Mrs. Pevensie, I feel that you would be a good influence on her. Maybe able to bring her comfort."

"Why is that?" Helen asked, slightly confused.

The reverend rubbed his balding head with his hand and tried to grasp what to say.

"She just moved here from America, with her only child."

"Yes sir."

"Well, the reason they moved here was so that the child could get treatment."

"Treatment sir?"

"Yes, Mrs. Pevensie. A treatment." He paused for a moment. "She believes that her daughter is dying."

Helen felt as if an icy hand had clenched her heart as the reverend spoke of the second worst thing that could happen to her own children.

"Her husband died in the war, they are both here alone, and Mrs. Kellen is frightened, worried, and sad. If you could just speak to her, offer a hand in friendship, anything, I would greatly appreciate it."

Helen had only to think for a second, and that thought was was that she would want the same if she were in Mrs. Kellen's position.

"Yes. I will."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Lynn had not walked ten minutes before she heard a voice behind her calling her name. She turned her head around to see the reverend and a dark haired woman walking toward her. Lynn hid her agitation. She wanted to get back to the hospital right now, but at the moment, that wasn't going to happen.

The reverend and woman quickly reached her, and the reverend spoke.

"Mrs. Kellen, may I introduce Mrs. Helen Pevensie. I.... took the liberty of telling her about your child."

Lynn's face grew flushed, and she might have said something, if..

"She has four children of her own, and..."

"If I might reverend?" Mrs. Pevensie suddenly said.

The reverend looked at her, gave a relieved look and a nod, then turned towards the church.

"I'm sorry about that," Mrs. Pevensie said immediately. "I would have introduced myself at a later time... and perhaps not quite as bluntly. He is a good man, and a good pastor, but when it comes to introducing one person to another... well, let's just say that he comes out a little too much."

Lynn had to let a small smile show at that.

"If we might try and start over?" Mrs. Pevensie continued.

Lynn nodded and said;

"I think that I would like that a great deal."

"Well then," Mrs. Pevensie began, clearing her throat. "Hello ma'am. I saw that you were new at the church today, so I decided to introduce myself. My name is Helen Pevensie."

"How do you do Mrs. Pevensie? My name is Lynn Kellen."

"I am very well, thank you Mrs. Kellen. And yourself?"

Lynn was about to say "quite well", when she felt her heart sink, and tears begin to sting her eyes.

"No, Mrs. Pevensie. No, I am not very well at all."

Mrs. Helen Pevensie gave a reassuring smile and offered her hand.

"Come with me. I'll take you to a little tea shop that is just a block away from the hospital. Then we'll talk."

For the first time in a long while, Lynn thought that she had found a true confident.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Over a period of several weeks, a great friendship took shape between Helen Pevensie and Lynn Kellen. Soon, every other afternoon was spent at a tea shop, talking, praying, and sharing lives with each other.

It was a month after they had met, that Helen decided to ask a question.

"Why has Miranda been in the hospital so long?"

Lynn did not speak for a moment, and Helen feared that she might have offended her. Finally, Lynn spoke.

"I never should have brought her here. She looked fine when we left, nothing went wrong, but the strain of the move and the attack just before leaving all added up to... to..."

Lynn never finished. Helen reached out her hand and touched Lynn's shoulder.

"It'll be alright. I don't know how, nor when, but it'll all be well in the end."

Lynn said nothing, but nodded her head.

"When she finally does recover, come over to our home for dinner one Sunday evening. I think that it would be best for you both."

Lynn's blue eyes looked up to Helen's warm brown ones.

"I think that we would both enjoy that a great deal."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Lucy wasn't sure why she had decided to sign up for this field trip anyway. She had been a healer before, but right now, the sight of all these poor, ill people was making her a little sick. She could feel tears stinging her eyes as she watched a feeble man try to walk and then stumble, as she heard lady screaming in pain down the hall, and saw a young boy, smaller than her, on a hospital bed, just staring at the ceiling.

She was about to turn around and ask the teacher if she might go out for some air when she saw someone familiar.

It was the lady from church that mother always liked talking to on Sundays.

_"What was her name?"_ Lucy searched her mind. _"Oh yes! Mrs. Kellen."_

Lucy was about to call out her name when she realized that Mrs. Kellen seemed preoccupied and a little excited. Lucy, being the polite girl that she was, decided to remain silent.

Mrs. Kellen entered a hospital room, and the door shut. All at once, the group moved over to that same room, to look through the window. Lucy thought that she might wave to Mrs. Kellen through the window, when another sight stopped her.

She covered her mouth to keep a squeel of excitement from erupting. She hardly heard what the nurse who was showing them around was saying. Her entire attention was on someone in the bed.

It was Miranda.

She gave a slight jump of excitement, and a broad grin lit her face. But it quickly vanished.

It was Miranda all right, but nothing like Lucy had ever seen before. Her face was terribly pale, and she looked awfully skinny. Her hair was very thin and was pulled up into a loose pony tail. An IV was in her arm, and her eyes were incredibly tired.

But a smile lit up on her face when she saw her mother. The two hugged each other, and Miranda sat up in the bed, as if waiting to hear a story.

Lucy felt a sudden pain in her chest as she watched the familiar person whom she had known so well; now looking like a complete stranger. Miranda the Courageous, the First Warrior of Narnia, was not that same person here. This person looked feeble and weak, and... scared.

She was almost glad when the group left to go in another direction. All she wanted now was to find a place to be alone: and cry.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"YOU WHAT???"

Peter's and Edmund's voices both shouted at the same time, making the walls shake.

"SHHH!" Lucy whispered harshly. "You don't want the whole neighborhood to know do you?"

It was the next Saturday night, when all the children were given leave to come back home. All four children were in Lucy's room, all managing (somehow) to sit on her bed.

"Are you sure it was Miranda?" Susan asked doubtfully.

Lucy gave her a knowing glare.

"Oh, do be quiet Susan!" Edmund exclaimed. "Of course she's sure it was Miranda. Just like she was sure that she had found a country in the wardrobe; and that she was sure when she saw Aslan across the gorge."

That shut Susan up pretty quickly.

"Where did you see her?" Peter asked excitedly.

Lucy felt pretty good that Peter had not said; "Where do you think you saw her?"

"I'm afraid that that's the bad part," she answered sadly.

"What do you mean?" Susan asked, her eyes full of worry and confusion.

"Yes," Peter added.

Only Edmund didn't ask.

"She's not..., oh, surely not..." Edmund said, half to himself. He stood up and began pacing the floor.

"What is it Ed?" asked Peter.

"It's just..., well...., Oh Bother!" Edmund suddenly exclaimed.

"What is it?" Susan asked, her voice raising slightly.

Edmund stopped for a second, then looked Lucy in the eye.

"Lucy... did you see Miranda at a hospital?" Edmund asked.

"Yes."

"And... that lady that has been meeting with mom lately, Mrs. Kellen. Was she there?"

"Yes," Lucy answered, seeing where this was going.

"Ed," Peter said softly, "You're not saying that..."

"Yes Peter, I am. Mom said that Mrs. Kellen has one daughter. She is right now in a hospital. And her name is Miranda! Mom told us that just last week!"

"By the mane!" Peter exclaimed. He now jumped up from the bed and his hand went to his side, trying to find a sword that wasn't there.

"I was just so stupid that I couldn't put two and two together," Edmund groaned.

"How were you to know?" Susan asked. "Miranda was not at all like that in Narnia. She was always quite strong and a very able fighter. It's not like we thought that she would be in a hospital when we came back to this world."

"It gets worse," Lucy said.

All attention suddenly went back to her.

"She didn't even really look like the Miranda we knew. She is pale, her hair is skimpy, her body is terribly thin, and her eyes looked so tired. It's only by the grace of Aslan that I recognized her in the first place."

All four children went silent. Peter and Edmund both took their places on Lucy's bed.

"Well," Lucy began, "What do we do now?"

"We wait."

Three faces to look at the speaker; Susan.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you had been listening to Mother earlier, you would know that she told Father that she had invited a Mrs. Kellen and her daughter to dinner next Sunday."

"WHAT?" all three jumped up and shouted. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US SOONER?"

"Well," Susan said with a grin, "You didn't ask."

And that was the end of the conversation.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

If one word could be used to tell you how the Pevensies felt that next week, I would use it. But each one felt something different.

Lucy felt lighter and happier, but also a little anxious. Her sight of Miranda was not an encouraging one, but it would be so good to see her again.

Edmund felt a little worried, but also excited. To see one of his greatest friends in this world was going to be so different, but also so wonderful.

Susan felt a bit concerned. If Miranda were to come, and they all shouted out names and such, then their parents would think that they were crazy. But she wanted to see Miranda so badly, especially after what Lucy said about her. She felt that Miranda could use some hope right now.

As for Peter, the next week was torture. His best friend was in a hospital, he couldn't get to her, and he had to wait. His concentration on his studies was not going well, for every moment that his thoughts strayed just a little, they would go back into memories and thoughts of his best friend. How had she changed? What had happened? Why had she never talked about this before?

The next Sunday could not come soon enough.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Miranda, let's go!" Lynn shouted down the hall.

"Coming," was the reply.

Lynn had to smile through her worry. As soon as the doctor had told Miranda she could go home, Miranda improved. The last week had shown better results, and Miranda was able to do more things.

A few seconds later, Miranda came out, wearing a plaid skirt and a warm grey sweater.

"I still wish that you would have let me go to church earlier today Mom," Miranda said as the two hopped into the rental car that Lynn had been given by the hospital. "Why is it that I get to go to this dinner, but not to church?"

"Because, this is only going to be one family, and I didn't want you getting overwhelmed by all the people in church."

"Mom," Miranda said with a sigh, "I've never been overwhelmed by people before. Why would I be now?"

Lynn didn't answer.

"Mom!" Miranda cried out, frustrated.

"Miranda, please. Don't get over-excited."

"Mom, if this disease gets the better of me, I will be going to heaven, with Dad. No more of this pain or all these tests. But if this doesn't take me, then I will live my life the way God intends me to. And I honestly don't believe that he would intend me living every day of my life as if I were afraid to die. Mom, I can't keep doing this. Staying in the house day after day while you're out at work. You're always worried about me doing any little thing. You nearly blew your head off when I walked down the hall the second day that I came back home. Mom, this has to stop."

Lynn was quiet as Miranda spoke. She knew that Miranda was right. She wanted Miranda to stay with her, to always be there. She wanted her to live a good and long life. But her daughter was right.

But Lynn didn't want to admit it.

"We'll talk about this later," she said.

The ride to Helen Pevensie's was a silent one.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Okay, everyone needs to remain calm and passive when she comes in."

It was Susan speaking.

"If she sees us acting calm, so will she. But we need to keep it that way. Lucy," Susan said to her, "No hugging until we can get in privacy."

Lucy nodded, but her eyes were sad.

"Edmund, I trust you not to use big words around her. It'll get you both started, then no one will understand what you're saying."

Edmund rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"Peter," Susan said, "Please, don't do or say anything... strange."

Peter cocked his head at her.

"I'll do my best, but I'm not going to lie to anyone."

Edmund and Lucy both started.

"If there's going to be any lying, I'm not doing it," Lucy stated, quite firmly.

"I second the motion," Edmund added.

Susan rolled her eyes.

"We won't lie or have to think about lying if we just stay calm and controlled," she said.

The others nodded their heads, and before going downstairs, Peter said;

"And may the Lion be with us."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Peter could feel his stomach doing flip-flops as he waited with his siblings just inside the hall. They were standing in a line, Susan at the furthest left, then Edmund, Peter, and Lucy.

Peter could see Lucy standing beside out of the corner of his eye peeping out the window. She suddenly stood on her tiptoes, and Peter leaned his head down.

"They're here," she whispered.

"Now everyone," Susan said cautiously, "Be careful with what you say, how you act, and what you do."

"Yes mother number two," Edmund groaned.

Peter gave a short chuckle.

It seemed like an hour before they heard the door knock. Mother and Father stepped forward and opened the door.

"Hello Lynn," Mother said, a smile on her face. Peter thought that they should have placed themselves on the other side of the door.

"And this must be Miranda," Mother continued.

"Yes, it is," a soft voice answered.

"It is so good to finally meet you Miranda. I'm Helen Pevensie."

"How do you do Mrs. Pevensie?"

Peter felt his heart jump at the sound of that familiar voice. He hoped that he was making his face as passive as possible.

"Quite well, thank you. And you?"

Peter was right now wishing that they could just skip past all these formalities.

"I'm doing much better, thank you."

"Oh," Father suddenly exclaimed. "Quit standing out there in the cold and come in."

Then, the two stepped in.

It was Mrs. Lynn Kellen that they saw first. She was a petite woman, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and a smile that could light up a room.

Then Miranda stepped in behind her.

Peter was so glad for all those days in Narnian courts, for right now, it took every memory of them to keep him from just gasping, much less keeping his face straight.

Miranda was all that Lucy said she was. Thin, pale, tired, not at all like the Miranda he remembered.

But a quick light shown in her eyes when she saw them, and there was a sight of the old Miranda. It quickly vanished, but it had been there, and that was enough.

"If I might introduce my children," Mother said. "This is my eldest daughter, Susan. Then, my youngest boy, Edmund. My eldest, Peter. And my youngest, Lucy."

"Your mother has told me so much about you," Mrs. Kellen said. "I am very glad to finally make your acquaintance."

"And the same to you Mrs. Kellen," Peter said, trying to keep his voice level.

Lynn smiled, then motioned Miranda to come forward.

"And this is my own daughter, Miranda."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Peter said again.

"And all of you," Miranda replied. Her voice was steady and her face showed no emotion. But Peter saw the slightest smile trying to fight its way out.

They all went to the dinner room, but Peter noticed just before they entered that Miranda was trying to take slow and steady breaths.

If they had all just met for the first time, things might not have been so hard. But they hadn't, so it was very hard. All the Pevensies, and now Miranda, had to keep there conversation casual. They asked each other questions to which they already knew the answers to, and told each other things that they knew the other person would already know.

Finally, it was Father who asked the question that was on all of their lips. Or tried to.

"So Miranda. If it might be... that is to say... if you could..."

"Tell you what is wrong with me and why I have been in the hospital a great deal?" Miranda helped.

Father's face turned a little red, but he nodded.

"Jeffrey!" Mother exclaimed.

"Please Mrs. Pevensie. Your husband has asked a good question, and I shall try to give him an understandable answer," Miranda stated.

Peter had to keep himself from raising his eyebrows. That sounded a lot like the old Miranda.

"I have had a problem with my heart since I was eleven."

Lucy gasped beside him, but quickly silenced it.

"The doctors aren't sure what is wrong with me. My heart skips beats if I get too excited and make the heart rate go faster."

"What do you mean that they aren't sure what is wrong with you?" Edmund asked.

"She means that she is one of those cases that no one has had to deal with before," Lynn answered. "She has heart attacks, but her blood doesn't clot. Her heart skips beats for reasons that no one can understand."

"And it's been happening since you were eleven," Lucy said, her voice choking.

Miranda nodded.

All were silent, until Susan said;

"Lucy, let's clear the table of this stuff."

"We'll help you," Edmund volunteered.

Peter silently thanked his brother.

In a few moments, the table was cleared, and all four were cleaning the dishes in the kitchen.

"I had hoped that you had been exaggerating Lucy," Edmund said as he dried off a plate.

"I wish that I had been," was Lucy's reply.

"Did you see how small and pale she looked?" Susan asked, washing the last of the forks.

"Yes," Peter replied, "I did."

With the four of them working, the dishes got done quickly, and soon all were back in the dining room. Miranda was gone, and Mrs. Kellen, Father, and Mother were in a heated discussion.

"I'm worried about her," Mrs. Kellen said. "She seemed to calm down for a while, but then came the last attack, and being cooped up all these weeks. And I don't know what to do anymore."

"Let her out more," Mother said immediately. "Let her be the young child that she is."

"But that's just it," Mrs. Kellen continued. "She seems to... well, I'm not sure how to say it. She does many of the things that she used to do. But she does them alone now, and in a less child-like way. We had a short argument on the way here, and she started saying things that I wouldn't have truly expected her to understand. I mean..."

At that moment, Miranda re-entered the room, and the talk stopped.

"Children," Mother said, "Why don't you take Miranda to the back sitting room. It'll be a good chance to get to know one another."

Peter put on his best smile (knowing Edmund was making a better one), and led the way to the back sitting room.

He opened the door. It was darker, with a small lighted fire in the chimney, books on the shelves, and a half-played game of chess on the small table in the middle. Chairs were crowded in, and Lucy's stuffed bear sat on the mantle.

First Lucy, then Susan and Edmund entered the room. Then, Miranda stepped in, turned around, and closed the door.

Turning back to them, a huge smile broke out in her face, and she whispered one word.

"Finally."

With a little shriek, Lucy ran up and wrapped her arms around her.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**So, what did you think? R and R.**

**I wasn't quite sure how I would do them meeting again, seeing that they were going back to school, and she had just moved there. So I put in that they have their weekends off. Whether they really did or not, I have no idea, so I'm sorry if this is completely off (I'm sure it is), but I can't change it now. Thanks for reading.**


	20. Mending

**Sorry that this one took me so long guys. I spent a week in Newport, then 3 weeks in the New England states. BTW, I highly recommend watching "The Lion King" on broadway if you ever get the chance. Totally amazing!**

**Mending**

It was the happiest night that Miranda had had in a very long time. She sat on the small sofa with Edmund on one side and Lucy on the other. Peter and Susan took arm chairs that were close to the sofa, and it made a comfortable circle. They had turned the lamps down, so now the only light came from the blazing fire in front of them.

It seemed like they had been sitting and talking for hours (but it might have only been 45 minutes) before the question was asked. Miranda had known it was coming.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?"

Miranda turned to Lucy. Though they had not even been talking about it, everyone knew exactly what Lucy was talking about.

"Because in Narnia, I never though about it," Miranda answered, giving Lucy a sad smile. "It never bothered me there, and so, I never worried about it. After a while, I forgot about it."

"How could you forget something like that?" Susan questioned in a frustrated way.

Miranda didn't answer, but gave Susan a bright smile

"For what reason should she have to be reminded?" Edmund asked his sister. Susan had no answer for that.

They continued talking about Narnia for a good while until they heard footsteps in the hall.

"SSSHHH!" Susan quieted them.

The door was opened, and her mom and Mrs. Pevensie looked through the door.

"Miranda. Are you ready to go hon?"

"Whether I'm ready or not, I know we're going," Miranda answered. The Pevensies did not succeed in hiding their laughter.

Mom gave her a small smile, trying to hide her own laughter.

"Well then, come along."

"Yes mom."

With a short good-bye to the others, Miranda left the home of her Kings and Queens.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Swish. Bump.**

Peter shot up when he heard the sound. Instinctively, he put his hand on his side, searching for his sword.

**Knock. Knock.**

With a knotted brow, Peter picked himself up and out of his bed, and opened his bedroom door.

Edmund stood there, his blue pajamas wrinkled and his hair all tussled up. Tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"Ed!" Peter exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"Would you keep it down Pete?" Edmund snapped. Then, he said in a quite voice;

"May I come in?"

"Sure," Peter answered, becoming more puzzled by the second. He stepped back to let his brother through, then quickly closed the door. The two brothers jumped onto Peter's bed, and huddled closer together with covers around them.

"Now," Peter began, "What is it?"

Edmund didn't answer for a few minutes. Peter didn't push it.

Finally, a broken sob erupted from Edmund as he began to explain.

"She looked awful Peter!"

Peter was surprised. It wasn't like Edmund to get upset about something like this.

"Edmund..."

"No Peter! Listen to me!"

Peter shut his open mouth.

"Peter. I saw her before she was healed by Aslan. I saw her before any of you did." Edmund broke off for a second, then began again. "She's even worse then before. And did you look at her eyes?"

Peter shook his head.

"Peter,.... Peter, in her eyes, I saw no hope," and Edmund broke off again.

Peter nearly leapt off of the bed.

"What do you mean you saw no hope?"

"I mean that she does not hold hope."

"Edmund, that's crazy. Of all the people that I ever knew, only Lucy outdid Miranda in keeping hope. She would never give up hope."

"Yes Peter. Never give up hope in us. But she has given up hope for herself. If you could have seen it like I saw..." Edmund choked again.

Stretching his arms out, Peter cradled his brother in his arms. Neither one moved for a long time, and when they did, it was to lay down in the bed and fall fast asleep.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

_"You can't protect them," the white witch leered at her._

_"I will protect them with my life Jadis." _

_"You have no more life to give, stupid girl. Did you honestly think that you could keep them away from me forever?"_

_She saw a flash of blue light, and saw no more._

**GASP**

Miranda bolted up in her bed, cold sweat dripping down her forehead. She reached for the knife by her side. Then she remembered.

"Easy Miranda. Easy old girl. She's dead. She's dead."

But the image of Jadis trapped within the ice reappeared in her mind. If she could come back then, couldn't she come back again?

Miranda lay back down, but no real sleep came to her the rest of the night.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Mom. Mom what's going on?"

"Just come on!"

Miranda tried to pull her hand away, but Lynn slapped her arm. She wanted this to be a surprise. Oh, did she owe Helen one.

She opened the last door and pushed her daughter inside. Standing in the middle of the room was an elderly man with merry eyes and a wise face.

"Ah, Mrs. Kellen. I'm so glad that you came."

"Thank you Professor," Lynn answered. Turning her head to her confused daughter, she said;

"Mrs. Pevensie has arranged for you to have a tutor to keep up with your schooling."

The old man stood up and stretched out his hand.

"How do you do Miranda? My name is Digory Kirke."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Nearly every week, the Pevensies and the Kellens met up with each other. Whether it was for just dinner or a whole day, they always managed to get together. It was soon told to everyone about Miranda's tutor, and there was an even greater delight for the younger ones. And as time went by, there seemed to be an improvement in Miranda's condition. Color came back to her cheeks, and she began to eat more. For weeks on end, she did not have any attacks.

Finally, Lynn approached Helen on this.

"I want to thank you. I think that being with your children is giving life back to my daughter."

"Believe me," Helen replied, "No one is more surprised than I am."

Peter and Edmund began to notice that her eyes seemed brighter, and Lucy and Susan noticed that she seemed more lively.

For two solid months, this went on. By this point, it was well near Christmas time. The Pevensie children got off school for the holidays, and the two families saw each other more often. There was decorations put up, trees trimmed up, and cookies baked (which would actually end up in a full out flour fight).

Finally, at a week before Christmas, the church announced the annual Christmas ball that was to be held at the church hall.

Lucy and Susan were quite a bit more excited at this than the others were.

"Oh, we'll be able to dress up!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Oh, I haven't danced in so long," Susan said. Then, with a swish of her head, said;

"Miranda; I could get you ready."

"I don't think so!" Miranda all but shouted. "The last time you did that, I ended up in a very ritzy dress with about 4 layers of make-up on and so much jewelry on me, I couldn't hold my neck up."

Peter and Edmund couldn't hold back their snickers at this memory. Susan had complained to Miranda that she looked more like a boy than a girl, and had dared her to let Susan get her all dressed up. Miranda had agreed, and had ended up looking hideous. She had gotten her revenge, however, dumping Susan in the ocean when the King of Archenland had arrived. Susan came out dripping wet and looking like a raccoon. Prince Corin had the nerve to fight Miranda after this, but he too ended up dripping wet. King Lune had laughed during the whole ordeal.

"I'll let my mom help me, thank you very much," Miranda growled.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Three long skirts draped the bed, and clothes were being thrown out of the closet. Lynn had to keep herself from laughing out loud. Miranda was a person that never kept a nice dress for long, and Lynn had warned her that someday she would need one. But Miranda hadn't listened, and now she was wanting one.

With a sly grin, Lynn went to her room and opened her closet door. With a push and a pull, she brought out a red box.

"Miranda. Could you come here for a second?"

She heard a loud bump, and then a much softer: "Coming."

Lynn started to laugh.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" Miranda teased, coming into the room with a hand on her head.

"I told you to be careful about what you put in there."

"Alright then. I've learned my lesson."

"Yes, but you have yet to learn another." Lynn pushed the red box towards her daughter. "Open it."

Confused eyes looked at the box, then back at her. Miranda took the box, opened it, and gave a loud gasp.

Lynn didn't hesitate, but picked up the evergreen fabric and pulled an entire dress out of the box. It was a full length dress. The dark green fabric felt like heaven on her fingers.

"I found this in some of my old things," Lynn explained as Miranda took the dress from her fingers. "I fixed it up and made it a little more modern day. I had a feeling you would be wanting it."

Miranda didn't say a word, her mouth open in a large "O".

"Well go ahead. Try it on."

Still stunned, Miranda went back into her room and closed the door. Eight minutes later, she walked back out. Now it was Lynn's turn to gasp.

The fabric looked perfect against her skin, hair, and eyes. It swished around her like a ballroom gown, and the style was simple enough for her modesty.

"Mom... I can't wear this. This is too... too...."

Miranda didn't finish. But Lynn understood.

"Honey, I want you to wear it. I want you to feel beautiful for once in your life."

Miranda looked up in surprise.

"How did...?"

"Because I went through the same thing," Lynn answered. Then, without thinking, she said;

"You remind me so much of your Dad."

"Really?"

"More than you realize. You have his strength, his courage, his independence. You even have his eyes."

Thinking about him made her feel like crying, but in a good way.

"Well Mom, if I have all of that from Dad, then I have your heart, your faith, and your smile."

Tears were now pouring down both of their cheeks as they held each other in their arms.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Two weeks later, the Pevensies arrived at the church hall for the dance, with excited eyes and flushed cheeks. All the men (boys) were wearing matching black tuxedos, each one looking quite handsome. Mrs Pevensie was wearing a slim black dress with her hair down in curls. Susan was wearing a dark blue dress with bare shoulders, and her hair was up in a complicated bun. She wore a few layers of make-up, but you hardly noticed. Lucy was wearing a light blue dress with long sleeves, and her auburn hair curled into thin ringlets.

The moment they entered the hall, their eyes met the sight of beautiful candle light. Red and green decorations of holly and berries hung across the entire room, making it seem more like the inside of a castle than a church hall. Soft music began to play, and the Pevensies paired up; Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie were on pair, Peter and Susan were another, and Edmund and Lucy were the last.

However, within two minutes of dancing, someone tapped Peter's shoulder. Peter turned to the face of Benjamin Stew. He was a tall, muscled young man, with dark brown hair and eyes. He was also not in favor of Edmund or Peter.

"If I might cut in?" he asked.

Peter turned to Susan, who was nodding vigorously. He reluctantly gave her hand to Benjamin's, and went to sit down. He always hated it when boys started looking at his sisters. Between Benjamin Stew and Gary Barnes, he had his hands full. He watched Benjamin and Susan carefully, ready to step in if there should be any problems.

But his attention was quickly grabbed by someone he recognized. Mrs Kellen was walking in, looking exquisite in a long red gown that shimmered in the candle's glow. Her blonde hair had been let down so that it reached down her back like a river of gold, and it waved like a river's flow. She wore a light layer of make-up, and cherry red lipstick.

Peter stood up, and gave her a courtly bow.

"How do you do this evening Mrs. Kellen?"

Mrs. Kellen gave a little giggle.

"I am doing quite well this evening Sir. Pevensie. And you?"

"I'd feel better if I knew that my sister was dancing with someone else."

Mrs. Kellen laughed. Both turned when they noticed someone coming towards them.

If someone had come up and took Peter's heart out, he couldn't have been more surprised by what he saw.

Miranda wore a gown of emerald green, which made her look like she had just walked out of a forest. Her hair was in a half-bun, and the half that was let down was slightly curled. She wore no make-up, but she didn't seem to need it. She gave a bright smile, and the effect was complete.

"Well Peter. Are you going to stand there gawking all day?" Mrs. Kellen whispered beside him.

Peter could feel himself give a slight blush.

"I think that I'll go and get some refreshment," Mrs. Kellen continued, then left to get a drink.

Peter walked over towards his friend, still shocked. He stared at her a few minutes before Miranda said;

"For goodness sake Peter! Is it that much of a shock?"

He gave a loud bark of laughter and relaxed again.

"Of course not," he answered. "I just wasn't expecting it."

"Oh, well thanks for the compliment," Miranda replied, rolling her eyes.

Suddenly, Peter saw a group of people that he dearly hoped to avoid. Mary Weston, Sue Barker, and Anna Adams were walking his way.

"Dance with me," he suddenly whispered to Miranda.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me... Dance with me!" He was getting a little worried now.

"Is that an order? Because if it is, you should know that I have two left feet."

"I don't care if you had feet the size of an elephant," Peter replied, training his eyes at the group now coming closer. "Just dance with me. Please."

Miranda noticed his eye movement.

"Well, alright. Since you said please."

Peter took Miranda's hand and led her to the floor. But not before he heard; "his cerulean eyes."

He felt his cheeks flush as he took Miranda's hand and led her through the steps of the dance. She was right. She did have two left feet. But he hardly noticed as he thought of what they had said.

"Calm down your highness," Miranda whispered as she misstepped.

His head jerked to face her.

"What do you mean...?"

"I heard what they said sire. And I know how you hate it."

Peter sighed. That word had been used in too many "love" letters to him for him to enjoy it whatsoever. A Calormen princess, a Terebinthian countess, a Duchesse of Archenland: they had all used the words "cerulean eyes" in their letters. His sisters had said the word for a while, but stopped when they saw how much he disliked it. Edmund used it from time to time to tease him. But all other Narnians knew that they should never mention the word "cerulean" in his presence. His blue eyes would flash with anger, and he would have to leave the room and throw something before he was alright again.

"When are people going to get that my eyes are blue, not cerulean?" Peter growled.

"When the world is perfect my king."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"My goodness. She does have two left feet."

Lynn laughed at Helen's talk, and Helen smiled.

"I told you she did," Lynn chuckled.

The two turned back to Peter and Miranda. Peter was now patiently showing Miranda the steps to the dance, making her go slowly.

"Peter may have sore feet tomorrow," Helen joked. Lynn laughed again.

"So," Helen began cautiously, "How are things looking?"

Lynn's smile didn't falter.

"Dr. Johnson sees more improvement in her in these last three months than any other doctor has in three years. I think that she may yet make it."

Helen felt her heart leap with joy for her friend. Things might yet turn out alright after all.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Okay! Tell me what you think.**


	21. Christmas Tidings

**Big thank you to Queen Su for bringing the number of reviews up to 50, and to hisanachan, who brought the number to 51. **

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Christmas Tidings**

Susan checked on her hair and make-up one last time before turning around and flying down the stairs. Father stood in the open doorway, shivering.

"It's about time," he teased. "I thought that you had gotten lost or something." He kissed her on the forehead and whispered, "You look wonderful."

Susan felt like the world could collapse and she would be just fine after hearing her father say that. It always felt good to have his compliments. She raced through the falling snow and squeezed in with her brothers and sisters into the vehicle, and they headed for the Christmas Eve service.

When they arrived, they met up with Miranda and her mother, and the 8 people entered the church. They took up a whole pew themselves, and sat down for the service. They sang songs like "Joy to the World", and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." The pastor then stood up and gave the Christmas story, how the baby Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, and of the star in the sky. But after he told the story, he began to talk about Easter.

_"Easter!"_ Susan thought. "_What does Easter have to do with Christmas?"_

He continued to tell them about how Jesus was sent down to earth to die and save the world.

"God sent his only Son, Jesus, down to earth when we had gone to our lowest. He sent him not to live, but to die in our place. Us, who are liars, murderers, traitors, thieves, and like filthy rags in his sight. Jesus died to save us from the penalty of eternal separation from him; from eternal punishment in the pit of hell."

Susan heard a sob beside her. She turned to her left, and was surprised to see that there were tears streaking down Edmund's face. He was close to breaking down. She looked past him to Lucy; who's eyes were lifted up with joy, and a smile lit her face. She turned to Peter. He too had tears in his eyes, silently rushing down his face. But a regal smile lit up his face that she had not seen in years.

Susan's brow knotted in confusion.

_"What's wrong with them?"_

She looked past Peter and her parents to see if this had any effect on Miranda at all. Miranda's eyes were closed, and her lips were moving as if in prayer. Susan looked down at Miranda's hands. They were clasped close together.

"I know that this has not been a normal Christmas Eve service," the pastor said.

_"You got that right,"_ Susan thought. _"Now everyone's acting strange."_

"I would now like to give an open invitation. If there are any here that have not accepted the truth, have not confessed their sin, and who would like a new beginning, please come forward as the congregation sings "Amazing Grace"."

Susan stood with the rest of her family, and was surprised to see Peter leave the pew beside her. She ignored it, until she heard:

"Excuse us Su."

Susan turned to both Edmund and Lucy, trying to get out of the pew. She raised her eyebrows, but let them pass, figuring her parents would stop them. But to her surprise, they let them right through. Just before Lucy left the pew, she gave Miranda a big hug. Susan caught sight of tears in Miranda's eyes.

The three went forward, and the congregation sang. Susan turned her head one last time to Miranda. Her eyes were closed again, and she had both hands raised and a smile on her lips as she sang the words to the song.

After the song ended, the service was done, and the three others came back to the pew. Edmund, Peter, and Lucy were crying and laughing, and all three gave Miranda one large hug, so that she completely disappeared in the midst of them.

"7:00 tomorrow morning Lynn," Susan heard mother telling Mrs. Kellen.

"Don't worry Helen, we won't be late. Believe me, Miranda's more excited about this than I am, and she won't let me be late."

The two shared a laugh, and the two families left the church, with Susan more confused than she had ever been in her life.

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"WAKE UP SLEEPYHEAD!!!!"

Peter jumped up as Edmund and Lucy yelled into his room. A grin lit up his face.

"You two are gonna get it!" he yelled. And he shot out of his bed, giving chase.

It took him less than 5 steps out of the room to catch the two, and when he did, they all landed in a huge pile on the whole floor. Peter reached out both his hands, and began to tickle their bellies.

"No! No Peter!" they squeeled amidst their laughter. "Stop!"

Peter grinned, and tickled some more. But the two gained up on him, beginning to tickle his feet.

"Hey, no fair!" He shouted as he began to laugh. "No feet allowed!"

Lucy and Edmund didn't stop until they heard mother's voice downstairs go;

"They're here!"

The three jumped up and raced down the stairs, still in pajamas, slippers, and robes.

Susan, Mother, and Father were already downstairs, dressed much more nicely than the others were. They waited at the door until Mrs. Kellen and Miranda came up. To everyone's surprise, Miranda was still in her pajamas as well.

"Well, it's Christmas," she said when everyone stared at her. Everyone laughed, and the gift-giving began.

There were "oohs" and "aahs" over what everybody received, and little shrieks from Lucy, "thank-yous" from Susan, and "wows" from Edmund.

When the last present was opened, everyone crowded around the fire with cups of hot chocolate and cinnamon buns for breakfast (or brunch perhaps). They joked and laughed until they couldn't eat another bite. The parents decided to clean up, while they urged the others to go and enjoy their new things.

Grins on their faces, the five young ones raced to the back room, each carrying a small brown parcel. This was their last gifts.

They went into the back room and closed the door. Edmund, Lucy, and Susan piled up on the couch, while Miranda and Peter took the armchairs.

Peter went first, being the High King. To Susan, he gave a gold necklace with a green leaf pendant. It had reminded him of a necklace in Narnia that she had loved. To Edmund, he gave a miniature lion. Edmund looked quite speechless. To Lucy, he gave a painting of a very familiar faun, whom he had begged a good friend to paint for him. Lucy shrieked and threw her arms around Peter's neck. And to Miranda, he had found a gold and silver ring with a ruby embeded in it. Tears welled up in her eyes as she recognized the resemblance to her sword.

Susan went second, the Gentle Queen. To Peter, she gave a letter opener that was shaped like a sword. Peter said that he would never open letters with his fingers again, and that paper had better beware his sting. To Edmund, she gave a blue scarf that she had found, made out of fine yet comfortable fabric. A smile lit up his face. To Lucy, she gave a picture book of faraway placed that had green forests and waterfalls. And to Miranda, she gave a gold and red leather bound Journal.

Now Edmund, the Just King. To Peter, he gave a large bookmark, with the word "Magnificent" written into it. To Susan, he gave a charm bracelet that said "Gentle". To Lucy, he gave a bangle bracelet, with "Valiant" upon it. And to Miranda, a silver necklace with the word "Courage" on the pendant. Everyone loved them, and Edmund showed them his own large bookmark with the word "Just."

Lucy, the Valiant Queen. To Peter, she gave a picture of a lion roaring. To Susan, she gave a charm of a lion. To Edmund, she gave a book on "The Just Kings of Britian." Everyone gave a little chuckle, but Lucy knew that Edmund loved history books. Edmund kissed her forehead. And to Miranda, she gave a wooden cross that she had made. Miranda shrieked like she had and gave her a huge hug.

And last was Miranda, their Warrior of Courage. She gave each one a package, and said;

"Their all the same thing, but all different as well. I felt like this was what you would all most want and most need."

All four tore into the wrapper at once, and each was holding a beautiful bound Bible. But each one had a cover over it that made it look different from all the others. Peter's cover was entirely red, with gold letters that said "Peter, the Stone." Susan's was an emerald green, with golden letters saying, "Susan, the Lily." Edmund's was deep blue, with silver lettering. His said "Edmund, the Protector." Lucy's was a spring, grass green with silver letters. It said "Lucy, the Light."

"And though this is not exactly mine to give," Miranda went on, giving Edmund another parcel. Edmund gave her a surprised and confused look, and opened the package. He suddenly gave a loud bark of laughter, and couldn't stop.

"What is it?" Peter demanded. Susan and Lucy had both looked, and now they were laughing.

"Look!" Edmund exclaimed, and held up his battered torch. Peter started laughing as well.

"Like I said, it's not my gift to give," Miranda explained through her own laughter. "But I did put in some new batteries."

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Mother and Father were so good as to allow Miranda to spend the night. At 10:00, Mother and Father had said "lights out", and everyone went to their rooms; with Miranda going to sleep on the floor of Lucy's room. But Edmund grinned, knowing that at any moment there would be a ....

**Tap. Tap.**

Edmund jumped off his bed and opened the door. Peter stood outside, his new Bible in his hands.

"We won't have to wait too long," Peter whispered. "They're coming."

Two minutes later, Miranda and Lucy crept into the room, also holding Bibles.

"Come on," Edmund whispered, lighting the way with his newfound torch. The two girls tip-toed over, and the four sat in a small circle, pillows and blankets around them.

"Do you think Susan is coming?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know," Peter answered. "We'll wait a moment longer."

But after waiting ten more minutes, they decided that Susan must not be coming.

Miranda gave a huge grin.

"I'm so glad that you all found his name," she whispered.

"When did you?" Edmund asked.

"It was actually the same day, or night, that I got back home. When I woke back up in my bed back in Georgia, I saw my Bible on my nightstand. I picked it up and turned to John 3:16."

The others hurried to find the passage in their Bibles.

_"For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life_," Edmund read out of his Bible.

"He also showed me Romans 5:8," Miranda continued. The three rummaged through their Bibles.

_"And God commended his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us_," Peter read.

"Now, look a few passages before, Romans 3:23."

Lucy read;

_"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord."_

"Note the "Lord" part," Miranda added. "He is to be our Lord, and we are to give submission to him. Now, turn to Romans 10:9."

All three turned a few pages more. With clear voices, all read;

_"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, than thou shalt be saved."_

All three looked to each other. They each had a calm, peaceful look about them, as if something big and strong were protecting them. At that moment, they felt that nothing could ever stand in their way.

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Susan heard the group talking across the hall. She had half a mind to let her parents know, but quickly abandoned the thought. It was Christmas after all.

Turning over to find a more comfortable position, her eyes found the Bible that Miranda had given her. The cover was beautiful. Not feeling quite so tired anymore, Susan reached over and picked it up. She admired the colors and the words printed over. She began to slowly turn the pages of the great bound book. But she closed its pages and quickly put it back. She knew all that needed to be known about that book. Why should she bother with it now when there was nothing else to get out of it?

Feeling suddenly drained, Susan lay back down. The voices had stopped, and the world was silent.

But where no one could see it, a war was waging for the heart of one person.

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**Okay. This is where you click on the review button down below, and review the chapter. I know that 14 people have this story as a favorite, and 10 have it on story alert. I don't care if the review is two words like "Good chapter", or "Nice Job." Just at least let me know that you are reading it.**

**Thanks to Queen Su and hisanachan again for faithfully reviewing.**


	22. Months Pass On Then Tragedy

**Thanks to all who reviewed. It makes this story worth writing.**

**BTW. You may yet hate me by the end of this chapter.**

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**Months Pass On. Then Tragedy**

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The holidays were soon over, and the Pevensies went back to school while Miranda went back to being taught by Professor Kirke.

January passed into February. Miranda was taken to the hospital once a week, then twice a month.

"I can't get over her recovery," Dr. Johnson told Lynn. "It's incredible."

February soon became March. And this is where we must stop, because early one March morning...

**RING!!! RING!!!**

Miranda bolted upright from her position on the couch and quickly picked up the phone beside her.

"Hullo," she said groggily, trying to shake her sleep off.

_"Happy 31st Birthday!" _a familiar voice shouted at the other end.

"Peter," Miranda groaned. "It's 4:30 in the morning."

_"But you were ready, weren't you," _Peter teased.

"Yes, but I wasn't expecting it until a little bit later."

_"Yeah, well, that's what you get for expecting,"_ Peter replied.

"Ha! Ha!" Miranda laughed sarcastically.

_"See you later on today then."_

"You may not want to see me, because then I might kill you."

_"But you can't," _Peter slyly replied. _"That goes against your oath."_

"I may forget my oath later on," Miranda replied, then hung up the phone. Sleepily, she got up and went back to her own room. Lying on the bed, she tried to think of how it felt like to be 31.

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If a 31 year old girl could describe how she felt celebrating her 16th, Miranda could not. Though she felt 31, her body was 16. What was odder was the fact that she was now celebrating her 16th birthday for the second time.

Thankfully, none of the adults seemed to notice Miranda's discomfort. They had gone into a small park that was little used, had a picnic (with birthday cake of course), and presents along the way. Her mother had given her a silver cross necklace, saying;

"Your father and I picked it out before he died. He wanted you to have it for your 16th birthday."

Miranda could feel the tears in her eyes.

Mr. Pevensie gave her an American helmet that he had found along the battlements.

"I just felt that you should have it," he said unsurely, glancing at Miranda's face. Miranda didn't speak, but instead threw her arms around his shoulders and started crying. Mr. Pevensie didn't move, but hugged her back.

Mrs. Pevensie gave her a set of personalized stationary, saying;

"You'll have to write us lots of letters when we go to America."

Of course, everyone then had to be told of how Mr. Pevensie had been asked to America and all the things that would be happening.

Soon after this, the Pevensie children and Miranda separated themselves from the adults. Edmund and Peter found some decent straight sticks, and both dualed with Miranda. Edmund ended up losing, and Peter ended up tying her. Then, all found a nice shady spot underneath a tree, and talked about the one thing they missed more than anything. There was lots of laughs as old jokes were remade and old stories retold.

It was nearing dusk when Lucy said to her siblings;

"We'd better give her the present before we have to leave."

"What present?" Miranda asked. The boys gave each other a grin and ran off.

"Where on earth are they going," Miranda asked the girls. But the sisters just gave each other a sly smile, and didn't say a thing.

A few moments later, the brothers came back, carrying a long, narrow, rectangular object underneath a blanket.

"Now, what you should know," Lucy said, "Is that most of the work is mine. The others just supervised."

"Oh Ha Ha!" Edmund snickered. "Then you can give me back all the money it took to get you the materials."

"And you can give me back all the hours I took sitting for you," Susan laughed.

"And you can give me back all the ideas and memories that I gave you for you to finish it off," Peter finished with a grin.

"Oh, alright," Lucy said, pretending to be hurt," If you insist."

Peter and Edmund layed the large object on the ground, and all four threw the blanket off.

Miranda couldn't hide her gasp.

For underneath the blanket was a large, hand drawn picture of all the things that she had loved from Narnia. Miranda had seen pictures like this already that Lucy had drawn for the others, but never had she seen one quite like this.

The Stone Table was in the far right corner of the picture. Aslan stood beside it, the largest thing in the picture, all covered in golden light. After that came a face she recognized; Orieus, dressed in full armor. Right beneath him was the fox Hunta. To the far left of the picture was Cair Paravel. Beside it was 5 people. Peter and Edmund were first, both dressed in full armor, carrying swords, and crowns upon their heads. Peter held Rhindon high above his head. Susan and Lucy were next to them, also dressed in armor, and both carrying bows and arrows. Crowns were also placed upon their heads. Susan's horn was by her side, and Lucy's cordial and knife were around her waist. Beside them was King Caspian, wearing great Narnian armor, with a sword in one hand and a knife in the other.

And right in the middle of the picture was herself. She was riding Onyx, who was drawn blacker than the night, with neither bridle or saddle. She looked like she always had in Narnia: darker, older, stronger. Her hair was long and windswept, and she also wore Narnian armor. And in her right hand, glowing bright, was Alanosa.

Miranda couldn't say anything for a moment. What could she say?

"How about "thank you"," Susan helped when Miranda remained silent.

Miranda looked up and laughed, and everyone noticed the sound of her laugh. It wasn't happiness. It wasn't pleasure. It was joy.

No one was ever quite sure how they managed to take the picture back and let no adult see it. Peter once said that he believed that they had gone blind for a moment. Susan thought that they had hidden it too well. Edmund shared that he thought that Aslan knew that it was special, and let it remain hidden. Lucy thought that the adults were just not paying attention. Miranda believed that all the grown-ups had known, only pretended they hadn't. But whatever the reason, the adults never mentioned it, and the picture was put into Miranda's room, slightly hidden away, but always there.

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**Two weeks later.**

**Ring! Ring!**

Peter jumped when he heard it. Oh, brother, he had forgotten! He flew out of his bed and ran down the stairs, jumping the last few. He finally reached the phone and grabbed it.

"Hello," he gasped into the phone, trying to catch his breath.

_"Happy 32nd Birthday! You forgot!"_

Peter couldn't keep himself from cringing.

"Yes Miranda, I know I forgot. And what's the big idea? It's 2 in the morning. I didn't think you'd go that early."

_"That's what you get for thinking,"_ Miranda laughed back.

Peter rolled his eyes and hung up the phone. He should have seen it coming. Miranda had succesfully gotten her revenge.

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Peter's birthday was celebrated. A month later, they celebrated Lucy's. It seemed like the holidays would never end. Yes, they had school during the week, but the weekends always made up for that. The weekends actually seemed to be getting better and better. But unfortunately, good times do not always last.

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Peter wasn't sure what made him uneasy that day. In fact, Peter noticed that Edmund and Lucy seemed to feel the same way as he did. As soon as Mother and Susan had left to pick up Mrs. Kellen for that woman's bible study, he had felt a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach.

For the rest of the day, they were on edge. Every time they heard a car going down the street, they went to the window, hoping that they were coming. But hours later, no one came.

Finally, Peter decided enough was enough. He picked up the phone and called up Miranda. He only had to wait for one ring before he heard...

_"Hello?"_

"Miranda, it's me."

_"Oh. Hello Peter."_ Miranda's voice sounded disappointed.

"Have you heard from my mother or Susan?"

_"No," _Miranda's said surprised. _"I was about to call you and ask if my mom was over there."_

"No," Peter answered. "But I'll let you know if we hear anything."

_"Thanks Pete."_

Peter hung up the phone, now thoroughly confused. Father now seemed to be a bit anxious as well. Where were they?

The phone suddenly rang, and Father quickly picked it up.

"Hello?"

Father's face went pale and his eyes went wide.

"We'll be right over there," he said hurriedly, putting down the phone.

"Peter, call Miranda, and tell her to get ready to go. They're all in the hospital."

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They raced to the hospital as fast as they can, and immediately went to the front desk.

"Please. I'm Jeffrey Pevensie."

"This way," the nurse said immediately. She led them to a door. There stood a doctor, who made them stop.

"Which one is Miranda Kellen?"

"I am," Miranda said, stepping forward.

"You need to come with me now," the doctor answered, leading her away.

The others waited for a moment before the nurse opened the door.

"Helen's on the left. Susan, on the right," the nurse explained before leaving them.

Mother looked quite a shock. Her head was bandaged, and her arm was wrapped in white. But when she saw them, she gave a wide smile.

"What happened?" Father asked.

"It was an accident," Mother said. "A car crashed into us."

Peter snuck a peak at Susan. She was asleep. She had a scratch on one cheek, and a bruise on her arm, but other than that, looked quite alright.

"She's just in shock," Mother explained. "She went out soon after we arrived."

"What about Lynn?" Father continued asking.

"I'm not sure," Mother replied. "I didn't see her very much after the actual crash. But she looks a lot worse than I do."

A sudden knock on the door made everyone jump. The door opened, and a doctor stepped in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie?"

Mother and Father nodded.

"My name is Dr. Johnson. I'm afraid I have some bad news,..."

The door suddenly opened again, and a breathless nurse burst in.

"What is it?" Dr. Johnson said, his voice tense and worried.

"It's the girl! She's had an attack!"

The doctor raced out of the room. Peter, having a bad feeling, decided to follow. He heard Father saying something to him, but he ignored it. Something was very wrong.

Dr. Johnson turned into a room, a set of nurses holding a stretcher behind him.

"Get her on oxygen! NOW!" Peter heard the doctor shout. A few seconds later, the stretcher was pulled back out. Miranda was the one lying in the stretcher, unconscious, an oxygen mask covering her face.

Peter's heart started beating anxiously as he peeked into the room that they were just in. On a hospital bed, lay Mrs. Lynn Kellen. Her eyes were closed, and she appeared to be asleep. But Peter's eyes saw the monitor beside her bed.

The monitor showed a straight line. She hadn't survived the crash.

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**You know the drill.**

**Click it. Write it. Send it. **

**(You can say you hated the end of this chapter if you want. I hated writing it.)**


	23. Time Goes On

**Time Goes On**

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Her eyes just stared at the ceiling. She looked at no one. She spoke to no one. She just sat there, staring at the ceiling. Many of the nurses thought that the shock had been so great that she had lost her mind. But Dr. Johnson knew better.

She was angry. At what, or at whom, he didn't know. But her eyes spoke fathoms of it. Yes, there was pain. Yes, there was sorrow. But her anger topped both emotions.

It wasn't the first time she had lost someone. To be deprived of both her parents, to not have been able to say good-bye, it wasn't a fair thing for a 16 year old to have already dealt with. Her father had died in the war miles away, and Miranda was too late to say anything to her mother.

With great reluctance, he looked into her records and finances. He had to sell most of their belongings to help Miranda's finances to stay in the hospital. Only the things that she needed or that she put her foot down about certain things. Her records said that she had no family over on this side, and Dr. Johnson wouldn't move her now at any point.

Thankfully, Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie had agreed to take her in when she recovered. Unfortunately, that was not happening. Since the tragedy of her mother's death, Miranda had gone into relapses of her heart attacks. Worse still, she was not eating well, and would not recieve visitors.

Finally, Dr. Johnson put his foot down.

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Edmund was the first at the door, and for once, Peter was glad that he wasn't in that position. From what Dr. Johnson had informed them, this was not going to end up pretty.

After all the Pevensies lined up at the door, Edmund gave the doorknob a twist and slowly opened the door.

Miranda didn't seem to notice that they were there. She just stared at the ceiling. Not blinking, not stirring, just looking up at the ceiling.

Peter's eyes glanced around. The room was just like any ordinary hospital room, but Peter noticed the Bible by her bed. It was unopened.

"I thought that I said no visitors," Miranda said, finally acknowledging that they were there. Her voice was empty of all emotion.

"We know that Miranda," Mother began," But..."

"Then why are you here?" she asked, a hard edge coming into her voice. Peter was surprised. It was not like Miranda to be so.... well, he wasn't sure what it was.

"We came because Dr. Johnson said that you were, well, not doing alright," Mother continued, a little slowly.

"I said 'no visitors'," Miranda repeated, this time, her voice sounding a great deal like a growl.

"But Miranda...."

"Get out."

"Miranda," Susan started.

"I said get out," Miranda repeated.

"We're not leaving..."

"GET OUT!!!"

This time, Miranda shouted, and a look of fury crossed her face that Peter had never seen before.

"GET OUT!!!"

Peter's eyes glanced at her monitor. It was pacing very fast.

"Come on!" Peter said to the others urgently.

"But," Mother argued.

"No buts right now Mom. Trust me, please."

The family shuffled out of the room and quickly closed the door.

"I'm sorry," Peter began. "Her monitor was going way too fast though. I didn't want her to get an attack right there."

"Well, what do we do then?" Susan asked. "We have to be back at the house soon."

Peter raised his eyebrows. Normally, Susan would not have waited a second to go back in and sooth her. That she would even ask was... odd. And that she wasn't planning to go back was even stranger.

"I think that only a few of us should go in," Edmund whispered to him. Peter glanced at him, and Edmund's eyes darted towards Lucy. Peter got the message.

"Edmund, Lucy, and I will go in," Peter stated, and he opened the door and walked into the room before anyone else could argue.

Miranda was now lying on her side, her shoulders shaking. Without hesitation, Lucy went forward and sat on the bed beside her, laying her hand on Miranda's shoulder. Miranda started and looked to them. Tears were racing down her cheeks.

"I thought that I said..."

"We're not visitors," said Edmund. "We are your rulers at this point, and you are our subject. To order us out of the room would not be the wisest thing to do."

Miranda gave a short bark of laughter, a small smile coming on her face. But it swiftly vanished.

"Why did you all come back?" Miranda asked. Peter could hear the anguish in her voice.

"To find out what is really going on?" Edmund replied.

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw the anger on your face. I hear the anger in your voice. You feel more angry now than I have ever known you to be before."

Miranda remained silent.

"So, what is wrong?"

Peter saw the answer spring up on her lips, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Nothing."

"You're a sorry liar Miranda," Peter said. "Just as I could never lie to you, you can never lie to me. Now, what is wrong?"

Miranda turned away from him, and Peter was afraid that she wouldn't answer, when she said;

"Why?"

For a moment, no one understood. Then she began again.

"Why did he take them away from me? What have I done to deserve this suffering? I did what he asked me to do. I became the Warrior of Narnia. I served with all that I had. I gave my life for Narnia, for its people, for its rulers. I have accepted his name in two worlds. What have I done that he would take both of my parents away from me?"

She cried during the entire time she spoke, tears steadily pouring down both her cheeks.

So that was it. That was the reason for her anger. For a moment, no one spoke. No one could.

"I don't know why you lost both of your parents," Edmund finally said slowly, "But what I do know is that they both believed and accepted. I also know that Aslan's timing is perfect, and when he calls someone home, they have to come home."

Miranda didn't reply, but kept on crying. Lucy wrapped her arms around Miranda and cried with her. Edmund and Peter soon followed. Crying and praying for strength, they stayed that way a long time. Only when they could cry no more did the Pevensies leave, with promises of coming back the next weekend. And after that weekend, the summer holidays.

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The next month was not an easy month for Miranda. Her anger still needed to be tamed, and eventually, it was. It was getting back to health that wasn't so simple. Her appetite still wasn't the best, and her heart kept skipping beats. But finally, after a solid month, they said that she was healthy enough to get out for awhile.

It was two weeks before she went in again. In those two weeks, she began to notice a change in Susan. She wasn't a part of their Narnian conversations anymore, and she seemed to be wearing a lot more make-up lately. She stopped talking about Narnia altogether, and her gentleness started ebbing away.

Again, two weeks later, she was put back in the hospital. It really wasn't anyones fault but her own. She had decided that she would try out a game of cricket, and had started up her heart rate again. She only spent three days in the hospital that time.

And it was a good thing too. That week, Mr. Pevensie, Mrs. Pevensie, and Susan were off to America.

"Write us soon," Mrs. Pevensie told her with a hug.

Unfortunately, they were not all to stay together. Edmund and Lucy were to go over to their cousin Eustace's house, and Peter and Miranda were taken to Professor Kirke's house for Peter to study and for Miranda to catch up on lost schooling.

"We really have the better end of it," Peter told Miranda, "Eustace is an absolute pin-head."

Within two weeks of their separation, Miranda and Peter recieved a phone call from Edmund and Lucy, telling them that they had been back to Narnia! And Eustace as well. For 4 hours straight, Edmund and Lucy told them about their adventures, about how well Narnia seemed to be with Caspian on the throne, about Caspian and Ramandu's daughter, and about brave Reepicheep.

"Good for Reepicheep," Miranda exclaimed as they told her about his last moments with them. "I knew that the life of a Warrior of Narnia wasn't for him."

_"Speaking of which," _Edmund said, _"Caspian said to tell you that Glenstorm is doing a fine job as the second Warrior. Not as good a job as you did," _he said laughing, _"but that he has taken the role very seriously."_

"What doesn't a centaur take seriously?" Miranda asked. They all laughed.

Miranda went back to the hospital twice more to make sure all was well. It seemed to Dr. Johnson that Miranda would get completely healed after all.

However, one month until school started again, Miranda had an attack. It came suddenly without warning, and the professor and Peter had to rush her over to the hospital. It was then that the condition became so bad that she was bedridden.

But after the schock of the attack left, it seemed like it was just a bad after effect. Dr. Johnson wanted to run a few more tests on her before releasing her again.

It was one week after the attack that Peter recieved a call in the early evening.

"Hello?"

"Yes, may I speak to Peter Pevensie?"

"This is he."

"Hello Peter. This is Dr. Johnson."

"Hello doctor. Is everything alright? Is Miranda ok?"

"Everything seems to be fine Peter, but Miranda just told me that she really needs to talk to you in person. It sounded like she wanted to speak to Edmund and Lucy as well. Is that possible?"

"I'll give them a call and ask them to come right away."

"Thank you Peter. Good-Bye."

"Good-Bye."

As Peter hung up the phone, he wondered what Miranda could want to talk to him about.

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**Sorry it's a little short. I'll try to make it up in the next chapters.**

**Click it. Write it. Send it.**


	24. They are Always Fulfilled

**Thanks for the reviews everyone. You will hate me by the end of this chapter though.**

**They are Always Fulfilled**

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Dr. Johnson was pacing the hallway when Peter arrived. When the doctor saw him, his features relaxed and he gave a loud sigh.

"Thank goodness you're here Peter."

"What is it doctor?" Peter asked.

"Miranda's heart rate just dropped a fast amount. I'm... I'm not sure what's going on. She was fine half an hour ago, but in the last ten minutes..."

He cut himself off, rubbing his head in frustration.

"You should go in now."

Peter didn't hesitate, but immediately went through the door.

Miranda lay flat on the hospital bed. She was awake, and there was a small smile on her face.

"Hey Pete."

"Hey Miranda. What's going on?"

"I think that it's a bit obvious Peter," she replied, then gave a sharp cry. The monitor stopped beeping for a moment, then started again.

"I'll get Dr. Johnson," Peter said immediately, rushing to the door.

"Peter, it'll do no good."

"What do you mean it'll do no good."

"Because there is nothing more he can do for me."

Peter's hand was on the doorknob when he heard that. He knew that tone of voice. He turned back to her. She was still smiling, but it was a sad sort of smile.

"How long have you known?" Peter demanded.

Miranda hesitated.

"Miranda, how long have you known?"

"Since we last came back from Narnia."

"WHAT???"

Peter quickly muffled his shout.

"You've known for almost a year now?" Peter asked disbelievingly.

Miranda nodded.

"Why didn't you tell anybody? Your mom, Dr. Johnson, us..."

"My mom and Dr. Johnson would just reassure me that all hope was not lost, that they would find a cure, that there was some hope that I could get well again. But there was never any real hope."

"The first time we saw you again," Peter remembered, "Edmund told me that when he looked into your eyes, he saw no hope."

"They named him "the Just" for a good reason," Miranda laughed.

"It's not funny!" Peter said, quite loudly.

"What's not funny?"

"This whole thing. You've known this whole time and you didn't tell us?"

"Would you have really wanted to know?"

"Yes, I would have wanted to know."

"You see," Miranda explained, "This is the very reason I didn't tell you. You would get all bent out of shape and start yellling at everything and everyone. I didn't want anyone to know so that I could have a chance to live my life again."

Peter had opened his mouth to say something, but swiftly shut it.

"I wanted to live without worry or care Peter. I wanted my mom to keep her hope. I wanted you all to treat me like you did in Narnia, which you have. This has been one of the best years of my life, all because I told no one."

Peter still felt slightly hurt that she hadn't told him, but he saw her point and why she had done it. He nodded his head and took a chair by her bedside. She reached down her hand and he took it. They stayed that way for many moments.

Finally, Miranda said;

"Do you remember the first time we met?"

"I wouldn't say that it was exactly meeting, but I do remember the first words you said to me," Peter replied. "It was your oath, taking on the duties as the Warrior of Narnia."

Miranda laughed.

"I thought that I was really getting in over my head when that happened," Miranda said.

"Well so did I when I became king of Narnia," he replied.

"Do you see that box over there?" she asked, pointing to a chair beside the door. Peter nodded.

"That box is for all of you. Everything is labeled so that you won't get confused over who gets what."

"Let's not talk about that right now," Peter said.

"I have to talk about it now Peter," Miranda said urgently, giving a little cry. Her heart had skipped again. "It's now or never."

Peter didn't reply.

"I don't think that I'll make it to see Lucy and Edmund again. Tell Edmund that he was the wisest king and the greatest friend I could have asked for, and tell Lucy that it was her valiance that made me courageous."

Peter nodded.

"And tell your parents that they meant so much to me and my mother. Tell them that they were there for us when no one else could, and that we were forever grateful for that."

"I will."

"And Peter," Miranda said, gripping his hand tighter, "Promise me that you'll never give up on Susan."

"What?" Peter said confused.

"Please Peter, promise me. She is straying. She is leaving her memories of Narnia. She must not go down that path. Please Peter, never give up on her."

"I won't Miranda. I promise."

Miranda then lay back and closed her eyes, wincing as the monitor went silent for a moment.

"I've been having a good deal of nightmares the past year," Miranda said after her silence.

"What are they?"

"It's always me against the White Witch. Every time I see her, she taunts me, telling me that I am useless here and cannot protect my rulers from her grasp." She paused for a second, then continued. "Every time I dreamt it, she got closer and closer to killing me. About an hour ago, I dreamed again. She was attacking Susan. That's when I had the doctor call you. I was going to tell you about that, when this started," she finished, pointing at herself.

"Why do you think it has happened now?" Peter asked, pointing to her monitor.

"Well, for one, Aslan told me that I only had one more year. He told me shortly before we left Narnia. He said it was a gift for me."

"Meaning," Peter realized," That you shouldn't have even lived this long."

"That's right Pete."

"But, you think it might be more?"

Miranda nodded.

"Remember what Edmund and Lucy told us about Caspian and Ramandu's daughter?"

"Yes."

"I'll bet that when my heart rate dropped, at that exact time in Narnia, the two of them had gotten married."

"The Prophecy!" Peter exclaimed.

"Yes. That when all in Narnia is well..."

"The Warrior shall become dead and still," Peter finished.

"For one short moment, all was well within Narnia, and now, well..."

"You don't have to finish," Peter said. "I know."

Miranda suddenly gave a loud grunt.

"Oh! Ugh! That one really hurt. Oh boy! That one really hurt."

Peter winced at his friend's pain. Miranda then spoke.

"Do you remember the battle that we both nearly died."

"How can I forget?" Peter grimaced. "It was at the Ettinsmoor plains. We had taken a group of Narnians to go and fight off the giants that were plaguing the northern parts of Narnia."

"And both of us almost didn't make it out," Miranda added.

"I remember those wounds too," Peter said. "They had stabbed me in the back in between my shoulders, and you in the stomach. We both laid on those plains, dying, grasping each other's hands. And you told me that day, that if you could have chosen any death, than that would have been it."

"To this day Peter, that is the death I would have chosen. I was with my High King and truest friend, dying in battle for Narnian liberty. What death could have been better than that?"

"I'm not sure Miranda," Peter laughed. "I never had a preference."

The two laughed. Peter suddenly noticed that although the monitor was beating steadily, it was beating slowly.

"Miranda..."

"I know Peter. Believe me, I know," she said. "I can't feel my legs right now."

Peter wasn't quite sure why he did this, but he never did regret it.

He reached his arms under Miranda's back and lifted her up so that she could easily rest her head upon her shoulder.

"I may not be able to give you the death you want. I can't die with you, but I can let you die beside me," he whispered.

"Thank you Peter," she whispered back.

Peter listened to the monitor closely. It was slowing down.

"Peter," Miranda said, her voice weaker.

"Yes."

"Thank you so much for the friendship you shared with me. We've been through so much. Battles, wars, peace, arguments. Yet you remained my constant friend, and I thank you for that."

"You're welcome," Peter managed to choke out through his constricted throat.

**Beep. ----- Beep.----- Beep.**

"It's time Peter," she whispered. "Good-bye, Peter the Magnificent, my high king, my best and truest friend."

She took a deep breath.

"Good-bye Miranda the Courageous, First Warrior of Narnia, my protector and guardian, my dearest friend."

Her breath came out slow, and the monitor was silent.

Miranda the Courageous, First Warrior of Narnia, was gone.

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Caspian awoke with a start. His eyes searched around his room quickly, trying to find out what it was that had woken him up. But all was still and silent. His wife, Star, was fast asleep. But something had woke him up.

He suddenly heard a long, low moan come out from the woods. It sounded like a dryad.

Without hesitation, Caspian jumped out of bed, threw some clothes on, placed Rhindon by his side, and headed for the stables.

Destrier seemed tense as well. Caspian swiftly saddled and bridled his horse and headed out of the castle. He might have made it, except for one small snag in his plan.

As he crept out of the gates, he heard a deep voice say;

"Where are you going King Caspian?"

Caspian couldn't help his cringe.

"Just out for a moment Glenstorm," he replied.

"Of all the people out on a night like this, you should not be one of them."

"What do you mean 'on a night like this'?" Caspian asked.

"Narnia is tense and wild this night. The skies do not tell pleasant stories."

"Which is why I'm going to find out what it is," Caspian stated. "Now, will you be joining me or not."

"Joining you, of course," Glenstorm replied.

The two turned to the one dryad's crying, and they raced toward it. They were less than a mile from Aslan's Howe when they found a small, cherry tree dryad, crying loudly and mournfully.

"Dear dryad," Caspian called out, "Why do you mourn?"

"Oh dear King," the dryad cried, "I mourn for a loss. A loss of Narnia's. The prophecy is fulfilled. It is fulfilled."

"What prophecy?" Glenstorm shouted over the dryad's wailing.

"When all in Narnia is well, the heart of the Warrior will be sore, it shall become dead and still," the dryad replied.

Caspian froze.

"No."

With no thought at all, he turned Destrier towards Aslan's Howe and raced as fast as he could to its doors. Glenstorm followed close behind.

When they reached the inside tunnel, Caspian leaped off his horse and took a torch. He then began to look frantically for the one tunnel.

"Come on. Come on," he urged.

"Your majesty," Glenstorm began before Caspian raised his hand. He knew where he was now.

"This way."

He ran down three tunnels, then found the narrow strip he was looking for. He turned in, brought the torch close to the wall, and let out an anguished shout.

Every drawing of the first Warrior had been fixed as Caspian had promised Miranda. But now, every single picture was black as coal. Caspian tried rubbing on it, but it was like dried paint. It wasn't coming off.

"Sire," Glenstorm asked, "What is this? I normally know such things as these, but the skies are unclear tonight. What has happened?"

Caspian turned to the second warrior, not hiding the tears sneaking their way down his face.

"Miranda the Courageous is dead Glenstorm. Narnia's first warrior is dead."

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Narnia mourned for the First Warrior for many months. And for many years, her stories were remembered in Narnia. But after King Caspian the Seafarer passed away, Narnia forgot once more. The first Warrior became first legend, then a myth, then it was believed that it was Glenstorm that was the first warrior. Seven warriors in all served Narnia; only six were remembered.

Narnia forgot the First Warrior, but the Warrior's Kings and Queens did not.

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**I know. Belive me, I know.**

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	25. No Need to Say GoodBye

**No Need to Say Good-Bye**

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It was not the thing they had expected to happen. It was the last thing on anyone's mind.

The second Edmund and Lucy entered the hospital, they had a feeling that something was wrong. Peter was sitting in one of the hospital chairs, a large box by his side. He didn't glance up when they came up.

"Well, what did Miranda want us for?" Lucy asked.

Peter looked up. His eyes were red, as if he had been crying.

"She wanted to see you both one last time," he managed to choke out.

Edmund froze.

"No. NO!" he shouted.

"It was only a few moments ago Ed. She told me to tell you that were the wisest king and greatest friend to her." Peter turned to Lucy. "And she instructed me to let you know that it was your valiance that made her courageous."

Tears streamed down both of their faces.

"Did she suffer?" Lucy asked between her sobs.

"She had some pain, but it wasn't bad," Peter said hoursely. "Her heart rate dropped too fast, and then it just kept slowing down."

At that moment, he broke down in tears. Edmund and Lucy wrapped their arms around him, and they stayed that way until Dr. Johnson needed to speak to them.

"I believe that you should call your parents right now," the doctor said, his own voice sounding very sad. "I think that they need to know."

"Yes," Edmund said. The doctor turned to leave, then looked back to them.

"I'm sorry that I could not do any more," he said. "I did the best that I could. But...."

"Say no more," Peter said. "We know that you did your best. But it couldn't be helped. She was leaving no matter what."

They quickly called their parents from a hospital phone. Mother, Father, and Susan were devastated. They talked for a long time and cried some more before they finally hung up and returned to the lobby.

Aunt Alberta and Eustace were waiting there. Dr. Johnson was speaking with their Aunt, explaining what this was all about.

"I'm sorry," Eustace whispered as the three came forward.

"Did you get a hold of your parents?" Dr. Johnson asked.

"Yes," Peter replied.

"Good. I'm afraid that we won't be able to wait until your parents get back before..."

"We already discussed it," Peter said. "We know that you need to get it done soon. If you can have it ready by tomorrow morning, we'll be around."

"It'll be ready," Dr. Johnson promised.

Normally, Aunt Alberta would have wanted to get back home as soon as possible, but for once, she complied with them all staying at the Pevensies home.

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_"Miranda is in that box," _Lucy thought as the coffin was lowered by two men, and the grave filled.

She held a white rose in her hand. Edmund was holding a rose of gold, and Peter was holding a red rose. Professor Kirke and Miss. Plummer stood behind them with Eustace in between the two.

After it was filled, a mark was placed up. Lucy glanced at the grave beside Miranda's. It was Mrs. Lynn Kellen's.

Finally, the men left, and they were alone.

Lucy stepped forward.

"The white rose, which symbolizes purity," she said, her voice shaking. "Miranda's purity of heart and of mind. It was because of this quality that those that tried to harm us were deceived in their own plans. I thank you for your purity, my good, dear friend."

She placed the white rose upon the grave.

Edmund stepped forward.

"A golden rose, which symbolizes friendship," he said, and Lucy recognized the Narnian king in his voice. "Miranda's friendship was always strong and good to all of us. Though I let her down, though I was a traitor, she saved my life and offered her friendship. For that Miranda, I am forever grateful."

He placed the golden rose beside Lucy's white rose and took a step back.

Peter stepped forward.

"The red rose, which symbolizes courage," Peter said, his voice soft, yet steady. "Miranda was named the courageous, and for good reason. She put her life on the line for mine. She put her body in between us and danger to keep us safe, without hesitation or reserve. We might have died many times had it not been for that. For your courage Miranda, I thank you."

He stepped back, and all three said in a strong voice;

"White, gold, and red. These three colors are those of Narnia. Miranda, the Courageous, First Warrior of Narnia; your death was not in vain. You did your duty well, and served us, our people, and our nation with all you had. You have filled your oath, so rest in peace."

All three stopped, and the ceremony was done. Edmund and Lucy went back with Eustace to Aunt Alberta's and Peter went with Professor Kirke. For two full months, they mourned for their friend, and though their hearts were heavy, their souls were light, for they knew where she was, and that she was happier than she could ever be.

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_I'll come back, when you call me,_

_No need to say good-bye._

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It was three weeks into the new school year that Edmund saw a change in Peter. He seemed to be drawing himself away from the rest of his family. And that was making two of them. Susan was now hardly ever seen by them anymore. She was always hanging around a group of girls or batting her eyelashes at Benjamin Stew. And most unfortunately, they had started making the schools mixed, which didn't help with the Susan problem. And then, when the weekends came, Peter would always hide away, and Susan would always leave on another date.

Edmund decided that enough was enough. On their fourth weekend break, he made up his mind to find Peter wherever he hid and talk to him.

It wasn't all that hard. The second their breakfast was over, Peter ran up the stairs and closed his bedroom door. Edmund gave him a few minutes, then went up the stairs to his brother's bedroom. He didn't bother to knock. He opened the door as slowly and quietly as he could.

His brother was sitting on the floor beside his bed, an open Bible in his lap. But it wasn't the Bible he was looking at. He was holding something in his hand, and his complete attention was on it. As Edmund peered closer, he saw that it was one of the things that Miranda had left Peter: her Narnian necklace.

Edmund quietly stepped in and softly closed the door. Peter didn't glance up.

"I miss her too you know."

Peter started at Edmund's voice. He looked up at him, and dark brown eyes stared into blue.

"It's different Ed."

Ed took a seat beside his brother.

"How can it be different Pete? She was my friend just as much as she was yours. Tell me how it is different."

"I saw her Ed. She was in my arms when she died."

"And for that Pete, I would have given anything." Edmund said, his voice slightly strained. "You got to tell her one last good-bye when no one else could. You should be grateful for that."

"Ed..."

"No Pete. There is no reason why you should be hiding yourself away from the world and shutting yourself away from your family. It's not what Miranda would have wanted."

"I know Edmund," Peter replied.

"Then why are you..."

But before he could finish his question, Peter grabbed his shoulder and pulled him so that he could speak in his ear. He whispered something, and Edmund's eyes went wide.

"What?"

"That's what I thought myself," Peter said.

"But, why... I mean, now..."

"That's what makes it worse Ed. I didn't realize it until... until..."

He then broke off, his voice choking. Without reserve, he wept. Edmund put an arm around his brother's shoulders and comforted him.

"It'll be alright Peter. One day, Aslan will set it all right."

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After that, Peter stopped mourning. I'm not saying that he never cried, nor am I saying that he didn't miss his dear friend. But he stopped giving over to hopeless despair, which is truly what mourning is. Edmund and Lucy helped and cried with him when he needed to let his emotions out, but still, Susan kept herself apart.

It was a month later when they recieved a phone call from Eustace.

"I've been back," were his first words.

With great excitement, he told them the tale of his search for Prince Rilian with a girl named Jill Pole and a Marshwiggle named Puddleglum. All three saddened at the news of Caspian's death, for he had been a good friend and king. But all three rejoiced at his news of their finding the Prince, and laughed as he told them of Aslan's act of letting Eustace, Jill, and a young Caspian beat up the bullies at school.

"So," he said a little hesitantly, "How have you all been doing?"

"Better than we were," Peter replied, "But we are still quite worried about Susan. The more we try to talk to her, the more she backs away."

For Peter was keeping his promise to Miranda, and had not yet given up on Susan. But the harder he tried, the worse she became.

Although no one knew it, Miranda's death hit Susan like a punch in her stomach. How could her true last tie to Narnia just go and leave her? She was the last thing that had made Narnia still seem truly real, that made it seem like it wasn't all a wonderful dream. But after Miranda died, it seemed like nothing made sense anymore. Miranda had always talked about Aslan's name being Jesus in this world, but where had that landed her now? Even after her devotion, her faith, and her trust in God, she had still died.

Susan never once visited her grave. She never again let her name slip past her lips. Soon after Miranda's death, she forgot Narnia. A few months after that, she forgot why she had loved and befriended Miranda.

But Peter kept his promise.

Not a day went by that he didn't talked about Narnia around Susan. But the more he tried, the worse it became. Lucy and Edmund soon followed his example, but it only seemed to push her away further.

A war was being fought, and Susan's side was losing ground.

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Two years after Miranda died, the friends of Narnia sat and ate together. That same night, a ghostly figure appeared and they knew they were needed again. Five days later, Peter was heading out the door, when he caught sight of Susan. She was looking out a window, with a dreamy look. Her eyes were focused on a tree outside with small pink flowers all over it.

"It was all real you know," Peter said.

"Oh Peter, not again," Susan snapped. "You've nagged and nagged about this subject for nearly two years now. Isn't it time you dropped it?"

"I made a promise Susan. And I intend to keep it."

"Oh yes, your promise to Miranda," she replied, rolling her eyes. "And I'm sure she would understand if you broke your promise and gave up now."

"But I wouldn't."

"Come off it Peter! It's all well and good that you want to believe it, but would you stop trying to force me to believe in something that doesn't exist?"

"I would never try and insist on something that doesn't exist. But that isn't the case here."

"Peter, I've argued about this with you before. Just leave me alone about it."

"I can't Susan."

"Yes, your promise."

"It's not just my promise anymore Susan. I'm worried about you. You are heading down a path that leads to hatred and destruction."

"Yes, yes, I get preached enough on Sunday Peter."

"Obviously not enough Susan, because you still haven't gotten it through your head."

"Stop lecturing me Peter."

"And you haven't even gone to Miranda's grave since you came back from America."

"I don't even remember why I was even around her."

Peter was stunned. Susan turned to leave, but he held her back.

"At least read this," he said, handing her Miranda's red and gold Journal, which Susan had given her. "This was among her last possessions. A note on top said it was for all of us. The last entry is for you."

Peter turned around, opened the door, and left, hoping to talk to Susan again when he came back. He never did.

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**I know, horrible place to stop.**

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	26. A Little Bit Longer

**A Little Bit Longer**

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Her shoulders shook as she wept. Her dark auburn hair fell over her face, now streaked with tears. Her hands held the paper.

_**The crash happened at 1:02 this afternoon. Many of the people on the train were killed in the collision.**_

That was yesterday. Beneath those sentences was a list of those that had died in the crash. Susan's eyes were on a number of them.

_**Digory Kirke. Edmund Pevensie. Helen Pevensie. Jeffrey Pevensie. Lucy Pevensie. Peter Pevensie. Jill Pole. Polly Plummer. Eustace Scrubb.**_

Susan crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it across the room. All she wanted to do now was curl up and die. Yes, that sounded wonderful. Just curl up in a ball and die.

But something was wrong. Something didn't even feel right about that thought.

Her eyes went to the last thing that Peter had handed her. The Journal just lay there, still unopened. A fine layer of dust was on top of it. With reluctance, she reached for it.

Peter had said the last entry was for her, so it was there that she turned. The very first words caught her eye.

_**My dearest Lady Queen Susan the Gentle,**_

_**I write to you in the last moments of my life. At this moment, I am on my deathbed. And I think you should know this. I've known that I was dying since we last returned from Narnia.**_

Susan rolled her eyes and began to close it when her eyes caught the next sentence.

_**Please Susan, if you are reading this, please read what I have to say.**_

She reopened the Journal.

_**In the past year, nightmares have been plaguing me. Each one has shown the White Witch Jadis come after me, always trying to kill me. Tonight, I dreamed again. Jadis was after you. Behind her, I saw two armies fighting. On one side were ones that I knew; Onyx and Hunta and Orieus. On the other side were the White Witch's followers. You were in the very center of the battle, completely unaware of what was going on around you. And Jadis was winning the battle.**_

_**Susan, don't let that happen. There is still hope that she will not win in taking and destroying you. But that is up to you. And you have to be the one to fight back.**_

_**I know that you are fading. I have seen your face when we talk about home. I know that you are forgetting. **_

_**Susan, there is still time. But you have to find what you have lost. You have to reclaim what this world has taken from you. And you have to accept.**_

_**Why is it so hard for you to accept Jesus? Why could you trust Aslan but you can't trust him? Jesus is who Aslan is. They are the same Susan. **_

_**If you want to believe: If you want to confess your sins and ask forgiveness, it is not too late. It is never too late. **_

_**Narnia showed Aslan to you. We showed you Aslan through Jesus. **_

_**Now, it's your choice.**_

_**Miranda the Courageous, First Warrior of Narnia**_

Susan read that entry twice more. Every time she read it, she saw and understood a little bit more.

She reached over for the phone. She dialed the number.

_"Hello."_

"Hello Pastor. This is Susan Pevensie."

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**I know it's short. Sorry.**

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	27. The Final Battle of the Warrior

**It will seem like this is the last chapter, but I have one more for you. Just one more chapter, and I'll be done. **

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**The Final Battle of the Warrior**

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"One. Two. And.... go!"

"North!"

"South!"

"Equator!"

"Beaver! You're out!"

"No fair! My legs are too short!"

Tirian laughed as he watched the curious game. On the ground were three ropes about 20 feet apart. One side was north, the far side was south, and the middle was the equator. Tirian had sat out because he had never even heard of the game before. But many of the old Narnians did, and it was quite funny watching them all run from one side to the other until someone lagged behind. Now, only a few people remained in the line; a centaur named Orieus, King Edmund, King Caspian, and Queen Lucy. Each and every one was dressed in fabulous Narnian robes, though the men wore some armor.

Tirian's eyes once again looked at the beauty around them. The sky was bluer than any sky he could remember, with not one white cloud in sight. The happy gurgle of a stream could be heard not far away, and the waters were crystal clear. The grass was light and bouncy and springy, and such a green that you couldn't stare at it for very long. And all friends of Narnia were there, which made it all the more wonderful. He rested once again upon Jewel's white back.

For just a moment, Tirian's gaze went to the High King Peter. He was sitting at a distance from the other's, watching the game, but with a bit of a sad expression on his face. In fact, it wasn't just Peter that looked a bit down. He had noticed that Peter's brother and sister would get that look, and even Caspian.

But how could they be sad? They were all in Narnia with those that they loved and Aslan watching over them all.

But something still made them sad. And Tirian was curious as to what it was.

His attention was brought back to the game, however, when he heard Orieus shouting "Let me go!" When he looked back, he couldn't help from laughing. Edmund and Caspian had grabbed onto the centaur's legs, giving Lucy a clear run for the North side. Lucy ran, touched the line, and won the game.

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Peter laughed along with the others as he watched his brother and his friend grab onto Orieus and hold him for Lucy to win. His mind though did not stay there long. He looked back to the horizon and gave a sigh.

"What is it Peter?" He heard beside him. Peter turned to see Lucy sitting beside him, with Caspian and Edmund standing right behind her.

"You've had a cloud over your head for at least three hours now," Edmund said. "Ever since Aslan explained that we would be staying here forever. So why do you seem so gloomy?"

"Doesn't something seem a little wrong to you?" Peter replied. "I've looked all over, and have yet to see two faces in the crowd. Two faces whom I think should have been here, one especially in particular." His voice had softened at the last part.

"I have to agree with Peter," said Caspian. "Only for my eyes, I have not yet seen three faces. Strange that the Warriors of Narnia should not be the ones here. I have yet to see my own warrior, Glenstorm. Or the warrior that followed him, Finus the dwarf."

"Doesn't that seem a little odd?" Peter continued. "The Warriors of Narnia are the ones that aren't here. And wouldn't it seem that they should be, since they were the ones that were given the task of fighting for and protecting Narnia?"

"I see your point," Edmund said. "And it only makes one feel as if... well..., as if they didn't give enough because they aren't here."

"How can that be true?" Lucy asked. "She always gave her utmost."

"Glenstorm as well," Caspian added. "But then, why aren't they here?"

There conversation stopped when they saw a mass of gold walking towards them.

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Tirian knew exactly who it was the moment he saw the gold. Aslan was coming there way.

With great excitement, the Narnians began to gather around the great golden lion in great masses everywhere. Tirian stood among those whom he had become more familiar with. Peter, Lucy, Edmund, Jill, Eustace, Caspian, and all other friends of those times.

All attention went to Aslan. But Aslan said not a word. Instead, he threw back his head, and gave a long and loud roar. Several Narnians fell over at the sound.

Suddenly, from a break in the woods, six Narnian creatures stepped forward. In front, stood a great and noble centaur, with dark skin and a stern expression.

"Glenstorm the Strong, come to me," Aslan cried out.

Glenstorm walked toward Aslan. When he reached the great lion, he bowed low.

"Well done. You served Narnia well and faithfully. For that, I reward you."

Aslan turned his head and Glenstorm followed his gaze. Five centaurs stood close by. A bright smile lit Glenstorm's face as he raced toward them. The centaurs embraced each other, and Tirian had a feeling that they must have been his family.

"Finus the Bold, come forward."

A short, stocky dwarf came forward, with a proud, and yes, bold expression on his face.

"You have served well. Though you were haughty at times, you saved your rulers more than once. For that, I reward you."

A dwarf lady came forward and raced toward Finus. He broke out into tears and ran towards her.

"Carton the Noble, step forward."

A faun with a scar across his cheek came before Aslan.

"They called you noble for good reason. You were willing to risk your life to save your prince, which unfortunately, led to a young death. For your service, I reward you."

Three fauns, one female and two male came rushing out of the crowd to Carton. And in that moment, the scar on his cheek was healed.

"Mother! Father! Brother!" he shouted, racing towards them.

"Artura the Hard, come to me."

A minotaur with a missing arm stepped toward Aslan.

"Your hardness made people wary of you, but it kept you strong and protected your people. For that, I reward you."

Aslan breathed upon Artura's arm, and it was made whole once more. Those that knew Artura gasped as tears streaked down his cheeks and I smile lit his face.

"Stepton the wise, come forward."

A cheetah with deep amber eyes came and bowed before Aslan.

"With your mind and wisdom, you helped to shape a great King of Narnia and brought peace throughout the land. For this, I reward you."

Two cheetah cubs came bounding forward, and Stepton ran towards his twin sons.

"Halka the Brave, step to me."

A small satry came and bowed before the great lion.

"Last of the warriors, you put your life in danger to save your queen. For this, I reward you."

From the crowd stepped out two humans, a man and a woman.

"Halka!" the woman exclaimed.

The satry ran and embraced his king and queen.

Many of the Narnians began talking, and some began leaving. Tirian turned to speak to the great Warrior Glenstorm, but it was then that he noticed that a great portion of the Narnians had not even moved. They still looked expectantly at Aslan, especially the Kings and Queen of the Golden Age.

Suddenly, a great bang shook the earth. A crack arose in the middle of the field, with red flames flickering out. A hand reached out and grabbed the edge of the crack, and slowly began to pull itself out. As the full body emerged, many Narnians screamed, some even fainted. Tirian felt like he was going to be sick.

For there, standing in front of them all, was the Jadis, the White Witch herself. She held a sword in one hand, and half of a wand in the other.

Immediately, the six warriors sprang themselves upon her, but none could get even close to her. She was quick and graceful, fully skilled and deadly.

Tirian gasped as wounds began to spring upon the warriors. But they did not seem to notice. There full attention was on Jadis.

"They are only memories of wounds," Lucy whispered. "You see, they don't fully bleed."

Jadis threw back all of the warriors, and Aslan shouted;

"Enough!"

The warriors stopped, and the White Witch looked straight at Aslan.

"Give me the battle I desire," she demanded. "Give me battle with the first Warrior."

Aslan said nothing, but many of the Narnians began shouting. Some shouted to Glenstorm, Tirian among them. Some just shouted "First Warrior". But again, many remained silent, simply waiting for Aslan to speak.

After Aslan breathed upon the Warriors wounds, healing them, he looked at the Narnians. At that simple glance from Aslan, everyone was silent.

"Those after the Deliverance of Narnia forgot the First Warrior," Aslan said. "They completely threw the First Warrior out of history, and have long since forgotten what the First Warrior did."

Many Narnians looked hurt and sad. They were the ones that had forgotten.

"The Narnians after the Golden Age made themselves a new Warrior. Though they knew the stories of the First Warrior, they made the Warrior something it was not. Narnians of that time, now look upon the Warrior that you yourselves created."

With another loud bang, another figure appeared. Dressed in dark armor, Tirian saw that it was a young man. He was tall and dark and muscular, with a haughty expression on his face that Tirian found frankly disgusting.

"I am the First and Greatest of the Warriors," the young man said in a deep and proud voice.

Tirian was not impressed.

"How dare they?" he heard from beside him. He turned to see Peter with his jaw clenched, Edmund with a dark look on his face, Lucy looking ready to cry, and Caspian with a horrified expression.

"This is what they made the first Warrior out to be?" Caspian asked with horror.

"Obviously," Edmund said coldly.

"You mean, that's not the First Warrior?" Tirian asked.

"No," Lucy answered. "That is not the First Warrior."

The fake warrior fought against Jadis with a haughty smile, and lost very quickly. The warrior disappeared, and Jadis looked once again at Aslan.

"Give me my battle!" she shouted.

Aslan gave another loud roar, and this time, not one Narnian was left standing.

From across the field, everyone suddenly saw a black horse galloping towards them; a figure in a white cloak riding upon it. The Narnians closest to it parted away as the horse came running through.

Jewel said suddenly;

"That is a horse that was made for war and knows it well."

The horse cantered around the White Witch, slowing down at each turn. The figure in white, a hood covering its face, moved steadily with the horse.

Jadis, getting impatient, threw the broken wand at the horse. The black war horse easily dodged it and came to a stop. The rider leapt off of the horse and picked up the broken wand. After a moment, the figure took the wand, and broke it again across its legs.

The White Witch ran at the rider, sword raised high. The rider did not move until the last moment. At that second, it made a backflip and kicked Jadis square in the face. As it landed on its feet, the hood fell off.

Tirians eyes met with the last thing he had expected. The rider was a young woman with dark blonde hair that fell down her back, dressed in Narnian armor. Her body was dark and well muscled, and her eyes were hazel. But the look in her eyes was what caught him off guard. It was a mixture of defiance, bravery, and willingness.

"Finally," Jadis said, and once again ran at the young woman. The young woman drew a magnificent sword, with a deep crimson ruby embeded into its hilt, out of its sheath and blocked the Witch's first attack.

Jadis easily recovered and attacked from the other side. Once again, the girl parried. Then, without warning, she balled her fist up and punched the witch in the face. Jadis stumbled back. The young woman came up again, but the witch was ready. The next moment, Tirian was shocked to see multiple wounds spring up upon the girl. There were slashes across her back, wounds on her arms and legs that her armor dug in to, and bite marks across the back of her neck.

He heard Caspian gasp beside him.

"There not really there Caspian," Lucy said, hearing his gasp as well.

"It does not make it any easier, seeing the wounds that she took."

Tirian turned his gaze back to the battle.

Suddenly, the young woman flipped over Jadis, dropped her body, and kicked her legs out from underneath her.

"There she goes again," Peter said, half laughing. "That was aksways her surprise attack."

The girl came up and pointed her sword at the White Witch's chest.

"You will never again bring harm to the Narnians."

Then, Aslan gave another roar, and the earth cracked again. Jadis fell into it, and they all heard a loud scream.

The earth mended itself once more, and the White Witch was gone.

The young woman turned towards Aslan and knelt before him.

"Miranda the Courageous, First Warrior of Narnia, I welcome thee home," Aslan began. "It was to you that I gave this task, and you have done your duty well. You rescued King Edmund when he was captured by the Witch. You saved High King Peter when the Calormenes came to harm him. You protected Queen Susan for as long as your life allowed. And you brought light to Queen Lucy when her world became dark. You saved King Caspian when his uncle sought to kill him. And you protected your people when Narnia was in danger. For all of this, I reward you."

Aslan breathed upon the young woman, Miranda, and suddenly, a flash of light surprised them. When the light faded, she stood and turned to them.

She was now dressed in a red Narnian dress, with a great golden lion in the middle. The dress split at her legs, revealing silver armor underneath. Her wrists were also bound with the silver armor, and her sword rested at her side. Her hair had been pulled back halfway and clasped with a red lion pin, and two small braids hung at the sides of her face. A huge smile lit her face.

Suddenly, the centaur Orieus came running forward, shouting;

"Miranda!"

She did not even hesitate. She immediately came running towards the great centaur.

As the two reached each other, Orieus picked her up and held her close; spinning her around and laughing out loud.

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Miranda hugged Orieus as tightly as she could. She had missed him so much.

"Alright," a voice said underneath her. "Enough Orieus. My turn."

Orieus set Miranda back down upon the ground and she looked down.

"Hunta!"

She bent down and the red fox leapt into her arms, licking her face as she stroked his back.

"I've missed you both so much," she cried out.

"And we missed you," Hunta replied, snuggling up closer.

Hands touched her shoulders, and Miranda looked up into the faces of Edmund and Lucy. With a cry of joy, she jumped up and hugged them both.

"Don't you ever die on us again," Edmund scolded, laughter in his voice.

"I won't."

"You'd better not," Lucy said, a little choked up.

Another hand touched her, and Miranda turned to another familiar face.

"Caspian!" she exclaimed as the two embraced. Caspian laughed.

"I have much to tell you," he said.

"And we'll have lots of time for you to tell me," Miranda replied, her smile never leaving.

She felt something below her knees, and looked down to see Reepicheep and Trufflehunter.

She bent down and embraced the good badger, and would not accept just a bow from Reepicheep. Faking reluctance, Reepicheep allowed her to hug him as well.

Then her eyes saw Peter. He was wearing a smile as bright as the sun.

She stood up and walked toward him. Without hesitation, the two embraced.

"I've missed you dear friend," Peter whispered.

"And I you," Miranda replied.

Then she heard two voices.

"Miranda!" One said.

"Brave heart!" the other said.

She completely froze. She knew those voices, and only one person had ever called her "brave heart".

Slowly, she turned around.

There running towards her was a man and woman. The man had dark brown hair and green eyes, and was dressed completely in white. The woman had golden blonde hair that fell like a waterfall down her back, and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a glowing white dress.

Tears streaked down Miranda's cheeks as she ran toward them.

"Mom! Dad!"

She ran into there outstretched arms, and the three shared a long and wonderful embrace.

Miranda felt that her heart would break at the wonder and beauty of it all.

This was not happiness that Miranda was feeling. This was joy.

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**Not done yet!**

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	28. This is Home

**This is Home**

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It had now been a whole day since they had been there, but it hadn't even felt that long. They had stayed up all night, pointing out the Narnian constellations, and the stars seemed so much brighter here.

Of course, at some point, the stories had to be told to the parents of their adventures in Narnia. Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Miranda had finally sat down with their parents (and many curious Narnians) and had told them of how they had discovered Narnia and their adventures in it.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Jeffrey Pevensie asked.

"Would we have believed them?" Helen asked him.

Jeffrey thought for a moment, then said;

"No, we would not have."

Miranda laughed along with her parents, Dad on her right and Mom on her left.

"You did well my little brave heart," Dad said. "I'm proud of you."

"Excuse me, Sir Jay," Caspian asked. Dad nodded his head for him to continue.

"Why is it that you call Miranda "brave heart"? You never knew about her in Narnia."

"That is true," Jay, or Dad, answered. "But she was like that even back in our world."

"In what way?" Caspian asked.

"Well, I think that at least once a week, she would come home with a bloody nose or a bruised cheek, saying "Dad, those bullies were messing with my friend, Cassie, again, and I beat them up"."

The group laughed out loud and Miranda blushed.

"She was fearless," Dad continued, "And would try out anything. But after the disease caught a hold of her, that all stopped."

"And I despised every minute of that," Miranda said.

They all had another good laugh, and it was then that Miranda felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, and Peter stood there, with an expression on his face that Miranda could not read.

"Come with me," he whispered.

"Is that an order?" she teased.

His face broke into a grin.

"If you want it to be," he replied.

Miranda laughed and stood up. Nodding her head to the others, she followed Peter into a denser part of the forest. Standing there were Onyx and the white unicorn that Peter had ridden into battle with so many years before.

Peter went over to the unicorn and mounted. Miranda followed suit and mounted Onyx.

"What on earth are we doing?" she asked.

"You'll see soon enough," Peter replied. Then, he urged the unicorn into a gallop, Miranda following close behind.

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Peter wished that he could get the tight feeling in the pit of his stomach to go away. But he couldn't.

He lead them into green forests and open plains until they came to the spot. It was the beach near Cair Paravel, one of their favorite places in the world.

Without hesitation, he leapt off of the unicorn and plunged right in to the ocean waves. It was cold, but not too cold, and for once, he felt no sand getting onto his clothing.

He heard a splash. Miranda had jumped in behind him. The two swam further out, and the mermaids began swimming around them. Suddenly, Peter felt himself pulled under. He held his breath until he came back up, coughing and spluttering. He turned to Miranda. She had that mischievous look on her face and was laughing out loud. Peter immediately reached over and pulled her down. Unfortunately, Miranda pulled him back down with her. The two came back up coughing and laughing at the same time.

The mermaids were good enough to help them back up on the shore, and the two rested themselves on the beach, breathless, but happy.

"Susan would have loved this," Miranda said suddenly, and her voice now held sadness.

Peter had known that it was coming.

"I tried Miranda. You don't know how many times I tried to bring her back: tried to make her believe once more. But every day I tried."

"Then you kept your promise Peter," she said, "And there is nothing more that you can do than that."

The two fell silent once more, looking out to the horizon.

And Peter had a feeling that it was now or never.

"Miranda."

"Yes Peter."

"Do you remember us standing on this beach so many times for.... suitors?"

Miranda laughed.

"Do I ever. You had countesses and duchesses and tarkheenas and princesses; I can't even remember all the names with the titles."

"I can't even remember how many came," Peter said with a chuckle.

"Fourteen," Miranda answered without skipping a beat.

"You counted?"

"I was bored," she said defensively.

Peter gave another laugh. His mind then wandered back in time.

"Do you remember the one?"

"How can I forget Peter? If I remember correctly, it was the governor's daughter at Doorn. All the other people of the Lone Islands didn't have a problem with you, but obviously that governor did."

"Yes," Peter sighed, remembering well. "So he sent his very beautiful and lively daughter to seek my hand once again."

"Only this time, she had done her homework."

"You remember it as well as I do," Peter said. "And I fell for it."

"But thank Aslan you kept your head about it. You never proposed to her or anything."

"I was quite close to it. And if I remember, it was Edmund finding her hidden letter that kept me from taking the last step."

"Yes it was," Miranda sighed. "But she was not happy."

"Nope. She got violent. And again, if I am remembering correctly, she pulled a knife on me."

"She did," Miranda confirmed. "And she might have made it."

"Except you were there."

Miranda blushed, and Peter laughed. Then he grew solemn again.

"After that one, I begged Aslan to please find me someone. For him to please give me someone to love and to cherish for the rest of my life."

"Did he?" Miranda asked.

"I believe so," he replied. "But like a fool, I didn't see it until it was all over."

Now agitated, he stood up and began a fast pacing.

"What do you mean Peter?" Miranda asked, looking a bit worried.

"I mean that I didn't realize that he had given me someone until it was too late. I mean that I didn't see my love for her until she was dead."

Peter stopped pacing and bent back down to Miranda.

"It's you."

Miranda's eyes widened.

"What?" she whispered.

"I love you!" he said. Tears began streaking down his cheeks.

"Forgive me please. Like a fool, I didn't realize it until after you had died. Like a blind child I didn't see the gift that Aslan gave me until you were gone."

"Peter..."

"Edmund soon found out, but I could never gather up enough courage to tell anyone else. It wouldn't have been fair for them to..."

"Peter!"

Peter turned back to her. There were tears shining in her eyes and a smile on her face.

"I love you," she whispered.

A full minute passed by.

"You do?"

"Yes Peter. I do. But unlike you, I knew it a little earlier. It was just before I called you that night."

Peter was surprised.

"Then why...?"

"I couldn't bear it Peter. I was dying, and I knew that nothing would keep me from dying. And I didn't want my last few moments to be ruined by telling someone I loved them and finding that they didn't love me in return."

Peter was silent for a few more moments.

"Yes," he finally said. "That was perhaps the best decision."

Neither one said anything. Slowly, Peter took her hand in his own and placed something inside it. Miranda opened her hand, and there sat Peter's necklace of Rhindon. She looked at his neck to see her necklace of Alanosa.

Not a word being spoken, she clasped the necklace around her neck and looked up at him. And Peter knew that Aslan had given him this moment, and that he was not going to waste it anymore.

He reached over and caressed Miranda's hair. She reached up and stroked his cheek.

Then, as if the moment were planned in time, they kissed. It was not a kiss of passion, nor was it a kiss of comfort. This was a pure kiss of a long waited love, the kind of love that our greatest king has in store for us.

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**Epilogue**

Miranda lay her head upon the soft black back of Onyx, breathing in the fresh Narnian air.

She heard laughter, and turned her head towards the wonderful sound. A newly arrived Susan was playing a game of tag with Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, Jill, and other good Narnian friends. Unlike the Narnians, but like her mother, father and Miranda's parents, she was not dressed in Narnian clothes. Instead, she was dressed in a beautiful white English dress. For though she had accepted Christ, she never did completely remember Narnia.

Miranda felt a warm glow, and she turned to see Aslan, more beautiful than the brightest sun.

"Aslan," she whispered, rising up. She put her arms around the golden lion and embraced him. Aslan turned his bright face and kissed her forehead.

"Tell me, courageous one," Aslan said. "Do you ever feel the need to use your sword?"

"No Aslan," Miranda replied.

"Good," he said. "Then use it no more. Your battle with the witch was your final battle."

"Then I am glad," Miranda said. "For though I fought and protected in battle, though it was my instinct and what I wished to do, I must admit, I never really did enjoy it."

"Then that is even better," Aslan replied. "For that is how I created you."

Then, giving a playful growl, he raced to join the game.

Miranda gave a sigh and looked out to the mountains and the sun overhead.

"What are you thinking about?" she heard. She turned to the smiling face of Peter, his golden hair messy from his part in the game.

She smiled back at him as he hugged her.

"I'm thinking about here."

"And what do you think about it?"

Miranda thought for a moment before answering.

"This is Home."

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	29. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

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**And now my dear and faithful readers, the story of Miranda the Courageous, "The First Warrior" of Narnia, is complete.**

**The first review that I was given told me to quit on this story and leave it alone. I am so glad that I did not.**

**A huge thanks goes to Queen Su for reviewing ever since this story began. She gave me huge help and advice and I am so grateful to her.**

**Another big thanks goes to Kirsten Erin. Though she stopped for a while, she came back and reviewed my story. And her reviews (I must admit) were the most encouraging.**

**And a final huge thanks goes to hisanachan who had faithfully reviewed every single chapter since starting. hisanachan never missed one.**

**Thanks goes to REDROBINS007, RushingRiver, trichwin, and Aims5 for reviewing as often as they could.**

**A special thanks goes to every person who reviewed me telling me that they were crying. These meant more to me than any other reviews.**

**Finally, I thank each and every person who has read this story and has been touched by it. I plan to continue doing the Lion's work, and hope you will too.**

**Fighting for His glory,**

**HisWarrior**


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